Changed Roles
by amy.werner.794
Summary: What happens when Francine's life begins to change more quickly than she's prepared to deal with. This story is a sequel to "Change in Plans" but it can be read as a stand alone piece. *The story is now complete.*
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Scarecrow and Mrs. King is the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. I've borrowed the characters for entertainment purposes only.

Changed Roles, chapter 1 

Francine was collating the reports that Billy would need to distribute to the agents that would be attending the morning's staff meeting. As she stood at the long table in the conference room she found herself thinking that during the past couple of months she was finding her job less and less satisfying. _I didn't join the Agency and work my tail off for all these years just to be a glorified secretary most of the time; even if that's as far as my father thought I'd get in the intelligence community._ Francine looked up from the mountain of papers that she was organizing and watched Lee stroll through the entrance to the bullpen and across the length of the room; seemingly not noticing that the eyes of every woman in the room had followed his progress to the desk he sat down at.

Francine tried to return her focus to the task in front of her but found that her eyes had returned to Lee. She wasn't fantasizing about what it would be like to be with him; she'd experienced the Scarecrow's charms first hand and was now quite comfortable with considering him to be her best friend. _I never would have believed that a house wife from Arlington could land the great Scarecrow if I hadn't watched it happen. Lee looks so…content…and Amanda is the reason why. Is there a right person out there for everyone? Is Michael that person for me? I want to trust him but now I'm not sure that I should._ Francine made a concerted effort to push her thoughts about her personal life aside and focus her attention on what she had to accomplish before Billy arrived. 

Billy was nothing if not a creature of habit; everyone in the DC field section knew what time he arrived in the morning. This morning he arrived fifteen minutes early and walked straight through the bullpen to his office without acknowledging any of his subordinates. Francine needed to brief Billy on the contents of the interagency overnight activity report before he called the morning meeting to order so she walked to his office, knocked on the door, and entered as others in the bullpen speculated about his early arrival.

Five minutes later a visibly pale Francine exited Billy's office with a new sheaf of papers that she'd need to make copies of and then add to the reports that she'd already collated. The tension in the bullpen ratcheted up even further because Francine had exited Billy's office not looking like her usual unflappable self. The only people in the bullpen who were oblivious to Francine's growing state of agitation were Lee and Amanda who were exchanging their morning greetings beside the coffee station.

Francine turned from the copy machine with a precarious grip on the papers she was holding and collided with Lee; who was hurriedly following Amanda across the room. The papers flew in all directions and Lee stooped to pick them up.

"I'm sorry, Francine, let me help you with these", Lee apologized, "I should have been paying more attention to-"

"You should be paying more attention to the work we're all here to do and less attention to your girlfriend", Francine yelled and then rushed off without the papers. A shocked Lee was about to go after Francine when Amanda came up behind him and put her hand on his arm to stop him.

"Let me go after her; you stay here and see if you can get the papers organized", Amanda suggested and then rushed after Francine before Lee could respond. Lee was left to pick up the papers while the other people in the bullpen were whispering about what Francine had yelled at Lee. Amanda caught up to Francine as she was entering the ladies room.

"If you've followed me here to demand an apology for embarrassing you, you can forget about it, your boyfriend walked into me", Francine said in a huff.

"I didn't come for an apology; I came because I thought that you needed a friend", Amanda offered.

"A friend, huh", Francine responded with an unreadable expression on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

Changed Roles, chapter 2

Amanda caught up to a visibly upset Francine as she was entering the ladies room.

"If you've followed me here to demand an apology for embarrassing you, you can forget about it, your boyfriend walked into me", Francine said in a huff.

"I didn't come for an apology; I came because I thought that you needed a friend", Amanda offered.

"A friend, huh", Francine replied with an unreadable expression on her face as she considered Amanda's offer.

"Before you say anything else; let me say something to you", Amanda interjected, "I'm the one that owes you an apology."

"Saint Amanda owes me an apology; whatever for", Francine asked as she disapprovingly studied her own reflection in the mirror. _Look at me, I'm a mess, I never lose control of my emotions and certainly not in front of other people.  
_

"I'm no saint, Francine, I'm as human as everyone else", Amanda replied as Francine continued to study her own reflection. "Look at me, Francine; I'm going to tell you something that I've never told to anyone at the Agency, not even Lee." Francine turned from the mirror and looked at Amanda with genuine interest.

"Why would you talk to ME about something that you won't discuss with Lee", Francine asked suspiciously.

"I can't talk to Lee about this because of everyone at the Agency he's probably the worst offender. People here have put me up on a pedestal; do you have any idea how difficult it is to live up to everybody's perception of me when I'm really as human as the rest of you. I get angry; I have petty thoughts and worst of all I've become far too comfortable with lying to the people around me. I've been lying to you and that's what I want to apologize for."

"What have you lied to me about", Francine queried.

"I've been lying to you about the depth of my relationship with Lee", Amanda stated contritely.

"Oh, that, I didn't believe you anyway", Francine told a surprised Amanda.

"You, you knew I was lying to you", Amanda sputtered.

"Jeez, Amanda, I know you and Lee think that you're being discreet about your relationship but nobody that spends any length of time around the two of you is fooled by your 'we're just good friends' routine. I confess to not realizing how serious your relationship had gotten until last weekend when I had dinner with Lee and your boys but now I'm sure that Lee has made a lifetime commitment to you."

"I'm glad that you know the truth. _I wish I could tell you that we're married but I can't tell you that without discussing it with Lee first._ You're Lee's closest friend and I'd like to be a friend to you as well if you'll give me a chance. Please think it over", Amanda concluded and then turned to leave the room.

"Amanda, please don't go, I do need a friend; a woman friend. I'd like to talk to you but not here; standing in these heels on a tile floor is killing my feet", Francine said with a smile. "There's a vacant office at the end of this corridor; we can talk there until Billy sends out a search party." Francine and Amanda walked down the hall in silence, entered the office and shut the door.

"Francine, do you want to tell me what Billy said to you that has got you so upset", Amanda asked as they sat down in the chairs on opposite sides of the desk.

"When I first walked into the office he told me that he and Dr. Smyth were called to the White House very early this morning. The president is pushing a piece of legislation that he cares deeply about and one of the senators that are sponsoring the bill had a car bomb go off in his driveway late yesterday afternoon. Billy had a folder on his desk with photos from the bomb scene in it; I looked in the folder before Billy could warn me that it contained a picture of the senator's six year old grandson who was injured by the bomb."

"Oh my gosh, will the boy be alright", Amanda asked Francine who still looked haunted by the photo she'd seen.

"Luckily, the boy was far from the car when it detonated, so he didn't sustain any major injuries. The bomb went off prematurely when the boy lost control of the ball he was playing with and it hit the car. Shortly after the explosion the other senators who are sponsoring the same bill received messages stating that they'd be next if they didn't abandon the bill."

"Is this Agency business because the target of the threats are senators", Amanda asked as she was processing what Francine had told her.

"Yes, but the case will also involve the State Department because the bill has foreign policy ramifications. That's where this case gets really ugly", Francine replied.

"Isn't a six year old nearly getting blown up ugly enough", Amanda asked incredulously.

"Of course it is; I meant personally ugly. Billy wants me to use my personal relationship with a senior State Department official to keep track of State's activity in this case. I've never had a problem getting 'close to a man' for a case before but it was never a man that I thought that I could love before."


	3. Chapter 3

Changed Roles, chapter 3

"Billy wants me to use my personal relationship with a senior State Department official to keep track of State's activity in this case. I've never had a problem 'getting close' to a man for a case before but it was never with a man that I thought that I could love before", Francine confided in Amanda. Amanda, who was rarely at a loss for words, sat in stunned silence because she hadn't expected Francine to open up to her to that degree and she wasn't sure how to respond. "Now I've gone and done it; in the four years that we've known each other the one time I really want you talk to me I've rendered you speechless", Francine commented.

"No, I'm not speechless; I'm just surprised that's all. I had no idea that you were in a serious relationship; you never mentioned that you were seeing anyone special", Amanda replied.

"I didn't know that Lee was practically a member of your family until last week when I ran into him with your boys, we've never exchanged confidences before, and maybe my talking to you now is a mistake", Francine bristled.

"You aren't making a mistake, you do need a friend, and I understand what it's like when an assignment overlaps with a personal relationship. The Stemwinder case wasn't that long ago; I hated sitting in an Agency van listening to Lee saying and doing things with Sonja Chenko that he should only have been saying and doing with me. I know that isn't the same as what Mr. Melrose wants you to do but I do know how it feels when your private life collides with your professional responsibilities."

"Maybe you do understand some of what I'm feeling; my life is spinning out of my control. After Jonathan Stone left me at the altar I promised myself that I'd never let myself care that much about another man. When Lee and I-", Francine trailed off awkwardly.

"It's okay, Francine, Lee's told me about his past with you. You were both at rough places in your lives and you found comfort in each other briefly. Your shared past used to make me uncomfortable but then I realized that the love you feel for each other as friends now is what matters not a brief relationship that ended years ago. I don't think we should let the past prevent us from becoming friends now; I can be a very loyal friend", Amanda offered.

"You've certainly proven that with Lee and I'd like for us to be friends but I haven't had a close woman friend in years", Francine said as her well manicured fingers traced the outline of the blotter on the desktop.

"In that case you are long overdue for a new one and I'd like to have a woman friend that I could confide in about Agency stuff. We could start off with a trial friendship and if it doesn't work out we could call it off", Amanda said with a warm smile.

"You've got a deal", Francine replied as she extended her hand in a mock serious gesture to seal their arrangement. "How should we start", Francine questioned as Amanda shook her outstretched hand.

"I'm dying to hear all about the new man in your life. Who is he? How did you meet him? What's he like", Amanda asked, eager to find out as much as she could.

"His name is Michael Tanner and he works in the division of the State Department that deals with our relations with the Soviet Union. I met him when I was working a dinner that State was throwing for Soviet dignitaries that were visiting Washington last spring. Dr. Smyth had arranged to have one Agency representative attend the dinner to observe the attendees and get a sense of their mood towards the U.S. Michael was the senior member of State's delegation at the dinner so he had to be made aware that I was there as the Agency's representative."

"Francine, you're stalling, I want to hear all about HIM", Amanda interrupted.

"Okay, okay, he's six feet tall; he has dark wavy hair and the bluest eyes I've ever seen. Is that what you wanted to know?"

"It's a start but I didn't think that you'd date any man that wasn't quite handsome unless he was fabulously wealthy or extremely powerful", Amanda replied.

"Alright, I guess you have a point there. Michael is intelligent, charming and a very good storyteller. What makes him so different from the other men that I've dated is that he's comfortable with my being a strong willed, intelligent career woman. He's interested in what I think and when we're going to go out he asks me what I'd like to do. He makes me feel special and we can talk about anything. I thought that we could have a future but then I found out that he's been lying to me", Francine concluded sadly.

"Why do you think that he's lying to you?"

"Michael called me last weekend to cancel a date at the last minute. He told me that he had to rush to New York to deal with a family emergency and he'd call me in a couple of days when he was back in DC. Every other time he had talked to me about his family and his childhood he mentioned Boston. After several days had passed and I hadn't heard from him I called his office and his secretary told me that Michael had been called away on a confidential business matter and she hadn't heard from him since he left DC. I want to believe that he's the man that I thought he was but after being fooled by Jonathan twice I don't trust my own judgment about men. Now on top of everything else Billy has ordered me to use my relationship with Michael to pump him for information about the State Department. I'm so mixed up; don't I deserve some personal happiness", Francine asked sadly.


	4. Chapter 4

Changed Roles, chapter 4

"I want to believe that Michael is the man that I think he is but after being fooled by Jonathan twice I don't trust my own judgment about men. Now on top of everything else Billy has ordered me to use my relationship with Michael to pump him for information about the State Department. I'm so mixed up; don't I deserve some personal happiness", Francine asked sadly.

"You shouldn't doubt for one minute that you deserve to be in a loving relationship. Maybe you're allowing your bad experience with Jonathan to affect how you are reacting to the possibility that Michael wasn't honest with you about where he was going and why", Amanda attempted to reassure Francine.

"Are you suggesting that Michael might have been telling me the truth? I'd like to believe that I can trust him but all the evidence suggests that he lied to me." 

"Evidence, Francine, we're in an evidence driven field and so far you don't have any proof that Michael lied to you", Amanda asserted.

"I know that Michael was born and raised in Boston and his family still lives there yet he told me that he was going to New York to deal with a family emergency. When I spoke to his secretary she said that Michael told her that he was going out of town to deal with a confidential business matter. He lied to one or both of us", Francine argued.

"How much do you know about his past? Does his entire family still live in Boston; maybe he has family in New York as well? Could one of his relatives have traveled to New York and then run into a problem that Michael needed to deal with? As far as his secretary is concerned maybe he had good reason to not tell her the truth or maybe she lied to you for her own reasons", Amanda countered in hopes of getting Francine to look at the situation more objectively.

"Amanda, you're in the wrong business, I think you missed your true calling", Francine said with a smile. "You should be a defense attorney, I have to give Michael a chance to explain his absence once he comes home, maybe I have no reason to distrust him", Francine said as she began to stand up then abruptly flopped back down. "If Michael has been honest with me than I have a serious problem", Francine sighed.

"You've lost me Francine; if you can trust Michael what problem do you have?" 

"Carrying out Billy's order wouldn't bother me if Michael had lied to me but if he hasn't and I do what Billy expects me to then I'm the one that will be betraying the trust a good relationship should be based upon. There are times when I really hate this business", Francine complained.

"How does Mr. Melrose know about your romance with Michael; Lee and I didn't know that you were in a serious relationship."

"Billy doesn't know that Michael and I are seeing each other. Billy gave me this assignment because he remembered that I met Michael at the State Department function that the Agency sent me to last spring. I've spent so many years bragging about how good I am at charming information out of men that Billy would have every reason to think that I'd be the ideal person for this assignment."

"If you're sure that Mr. Melrose doesn't know that he's putting you in the position of betraying a man you care -"

"Damn", Francine angrily swore interrupting Amanda in mid sentence. "Maybe Billy does know about Michael and me? The Agency periodically looks into who we're dating. Billy was willing to order Lee to do the peacock dance with Sonja with you as his backup even though Billy knew that you and Lee were dating. Our private lives aren't off limits; we never know when the Agency is watching and what they'll do with the information that they find out about us", Francine said in anger. Francine was so wrapped up in her own concerns that she failed to notice the momentary look of panic that crossed Amanda's face.

 _Oh my gosh, if the Agency is periodically spying on all of us Dr. Smyth may already know that Lee and I are married. He might just be biding his time and waiting for the perfect time to use the information against us. Dr. Smyth may know about our marriage when my own mother and sons don't know._ Francine and Amanda were so caught up in their own thoughts that they were both startled by a loud knock on the office door. Francine hurriedly opened the door and found herself face to face with an irritated Lee.

"Lee, you didn't have to come after us, Amanda is just fine", Francine said as she tried to hide her feelings behind her ice queen demeanor.

"Billy sent me, he's not happy with you right now, you two missed the morning staff meeting. Francine, he wants to see you in his office right now to discuss your assignment."

"That's fine with me although I hope he realizes that I didn't accept the assignment yet", Francine countered and breezed past Lee who then came face to face with a troubled looking Amanda.

"What did she do to you", Lee demanded.

"Francine didn't do anything to me; I'm worried about the trouble we may have gotten ourselves into. We can't discuss it here", Amanda cautioned and turned and left the office.


	5. Chapter 5

Changed Roles, chapter 5

After breezing past an irritated Lee Francine walked briskly towards the bullpen with an unreadable expression on her face. _So Billy isn't happy with me; I'm not too pleased with him at the moment. The nerve of him, sending Lee after me, as though I'm a naughty child that he plans to reprimand for bad behavior. Why am I rushing to his office; for years I've been dropping everything whenever Billy needs me and where has it gotten me?_ Francine slowed her pace as she continued her trip to Billy's office and stopped completely when she reached the doors to the bullpen. The blinds on the windows of Billy's office were drawn; always a sign that Billy planned to have an intense conversation with his next visitor. Francine squared her shoulders, walked through the double doors, and walked straight to the door to Billy's office without looking at her fellow agents whose eyes she could feel watching her.

"Come in", Billy shouted in response to Francine's perfunctory knock on the door. Francine walked in and proceeded to stand in front of him doing her best imitation of Lee standing at military attention.

"You wanted to see me, Sir", Francine questioned stiffly, determined not to give into the discomfit that she was starting to feel.

"Sir", Billy challenged as he and Francine had long since dispensed with the use of such formalities except for when they were in the presence of others. "What's bothering you lately, Francine; your moods have been all over the place for the last couple of weeks?"

"I hope you didn't send for me to talk about my moods. You wouldn't call a male agent into your office to discuss his moods", Francine challenged.

"A male agent wouldn't have launched a catty public attack against a pair of fellow agents in the middle of the bullpen", Billy countered.

"Oh, so that's what this is really about, you will protect Lee and Amanda's relationship at all costs but the rest of us are on our own", Francine said bitterly.

"I didn't call you in here to talk about Lee and Amanda. You make a good point about my not generally questioning a male agent about moodiness; although Lee's intense moodiness over the years has been an exception. I apologize for crossing that professional boundary but I want you to know that I'm talking to you now as a friend not merely a subordinate. If I didn't care about you personally I could have simply written you up for your disruptive outburst and missing the staff meeting. Am I understood?"

"Yes", a slightly chastened Francine replied while continuing to stand stiffly in front of Billy.

"Would you like to sit down so that we can have a calm conversation about whatever is troubling you? You wouldn't fly off the handle at Lee the way you did unless something was already upsetting you. I know that you enjoyed working in the field with Lee while Amanda was recuperating from her shooting and I'm sorry that I haven't been able to get you out in the field more lately. I thought that you would jump at the chance to put your special skills to work with the assignment I just gave you."

"Using my special skills; is that how you describe the Agency taking advantage of my connection to a man to advance a case? Are seducing men and doing cracker jack clerical work the only skills that you think that I have to offer", Francine asked angrily.

"Certainly not; you wouldn't be my executive assistant if I didn't know how intelligent, hard working and eminently trustworthy you are. You've always volunteered for this kind of assignment in the past; what's changed-", Billy halted abruptly as he began to suspect what was truly bothering Francine. "Michael Tanner means something to you personally; doesn't he?"

"Would it matter; aren't we all chess pieces on a board Dr. Smyth manipulates to advance his own warped agenda", Francine asked as she debated whether or not to confide in Billy.


	6. Chapter 6

Changed Roles, chapter 6

"You've always volunteered for this kind of assignment in the past; what has changed-," Billy was asking Francine but he abruptly stopped as he began to suspect what was truly bothering Francine. "Michael Tanner means something to you personally; doesn't he?"

"Would it matter; aren't we all chess pieces on a board that Dr. Smyth manipulates to serve his own warped agenda," Francine asked as she debated whether or not to confide in Billy. Francine had initially ignored Billy's suggestion that she should sit down so that they could have a calm conversation but the adrenaline rush that she'd felt earlier was fading so she sat down in the chair in front of Billy's desk.

"Dr. Smyth runs the Agency but I'm your section chief and whenever I possibly can I avoid putting my agents in situations that would compromise them personally. There will be times when a case is of such a high priority that I will have to carry out Smyth's orders without question but in this instance he didn't give you this assignment; I did," Billy explained. He looked at Francine expectantly, hoping that she would choose to confirm his suspicion that she'd become romantically involved with Michael Tanner, but she remained silent. "Francine, I need you to give me a good reason for why I shouldn't expect you to carry out this assignment. You are the obvious person for me to give this assignment to," Billy continued eliciting an angry glare from Francine. "Don't give me that look; you're the obvious choice because Tanner met you last spring in your capacity as an agent so he'll feel comfortable discussing things with you that he wouldn't be likely to discuss with a woman that he believes he's meeting in a purely social context.. Would you prefer that I offer this assignment to Suzanne Peters, she's been itching to show off her skills since she transferred here from our New York office, I could call her in here right now."

"Don't you dare; I don't want that…that…shark anywhere near Michael. I'll do what needs to be done, I'm sure he has nothing to hide, he believes in the work that he's doing. He would never do anything that might compromise the President's foreign policy agenda," Francine stated.

"I think that you've made a wise choice, Francine. All the chatter that we've been picking up suggests that a concerted effort is being made to derail the President's plan to get Gorbachev to sign a treaty that would reduce the intermediate range missile stockpile on the Soviet side as well as our side. We need to find out who if anyone in our government is trying to scuttle this step in our country's attempt to put an end to the Cold War. Reagan only has another year in office and he is determined to make sure that we are well on the way to reducing the possibility of nuclear war by the time he leaves office."

"Why does the White House think that someone within the government is trying to derail the arms talks," Francine questioned as she slipped back into agent mode. "There are many people outside of government who don't support disarmament. We should be considering members of the military and people whose businesses produce the weapons that the government would no longer be buying if the Cold War were to actually end," Francine suggested.

"Those are all possibilities that we will be exploring but we also have to take a hard look at the State Department personnel who are dealing directly with their Soviet counterparts. We can't risk having any of them give the Soviets a reason to pull out of the talks. There's no guarantee that someone within the government isn't being forced to stir up trouble; if the person is being coerced then they may be doing things that go against their own values," Billy surmised. "We need to find out if anyone in Tanner's department has done anything out of character or evasive recently, traveling unexpectedly or spending large sums of money, you know what to look for."

 _Oh Michael, you'd better have a good answer for where you've been and what you've been doing. I want to believe that you haven't been lying to me but if you have I'll make sure you regret it._ As Francine stood up to leave the office her eye was caught by the file on Billy's desk that contained the photos from the car bombing that injured a senator's small grandson.

"Billy, how does the investigation into the threats against the senators tie into this case? I know they are sponsoring a bill that involves changes to the military budget for next year."

"We're hoping that if we can catch whoever is trying to prevent any major changes to next year's military spending that they will be the same people who are trying to make sure that the missile treaty is never signed. Lee and Amanda will be interviewing the senators who've been threatened. If they were being aggressively lobbied to drop this bill before they were threatened we'll have a better sense of what direction we should be looking in. I need to give Dr. Smyth progress reports every morning, will you be able to arrange to have dinner with Michael Tanner tonight, so that I'll have a line on the State Department ASAP."

"Michael's been very busy this past week but I'll try to connect with him and make an arrangement to see him," Francine fudged then turned and left the office quickly.


	7. Chapter 7

Changed Roles, chapter 7 

Amanda unlocked the door to the Q Bureau and walked in with an agitated Lee hot on her heels. Amanda turned around to face Lee and calmly took the file folders that he'd been carrying and started to spread them out on her desk while Lee crossed the room and threw himself into his chair so hard that the chair hit the wall. 

Startled by the noise Amanda asked, "What's bothering you?"

"What's bothering me you ask? What's bothering ME, I found you alone with Francine and clearly upset about something, but you deny that she upset you and you refuse to tell me what you're upset about."

"I didn't refuse to tell you what I'm concerned about; I refused to discuss it with you until we were alone," Amanda tried to reason with Lee. "Francine was telling me about a situation that's troubling her and I realized that we could potentially have the same problem as Francine."

"Okay, tell me what Francine is worried about and then we can decide together if we have a problem too," Lee replied as calmly as his frayed patience would allow.

"I can't tell you exactly what's bothering Francine because she told me in confidence but we could talk in hypothetical terms once we're alone," Amanda hedged. Lee looked around the office theatrically and went so far as to look under his desk to reinforce the fact that they were indeed alone but before he could say anything there was a knock at the door. Amanda quickly got up and as soon as she opened the door Francine rushed in.

"I know that you two are on your way out to interview the senators so I was hoping that you wouldn't mind if I borrowed your office for a little while," Francine asked hopefully. 

"We aren't accomplishing anything here; make yourself at home. C'mon Amanda, grab those files and let's get out of here," Lee said as he got up and strode across the room. Lee and Amanda left the office and Francine sat down at Amanda's desk and picked up the phone. _Putting this off isn't going to make it any easier._ Francine dialed the number for Michael's office and waited for his secretary to answer.

"Hello Linda, this is Francine Desmond, is Mr. Tanner back in the office?" 

"No, he's still out of town on a diplomatic assignment," Linda replied.

"Has Mr. Tanner been calling in to pick up his messages?"

"No, I haven't spoken to him, would you like to leave another message in case he does check in?"

"No thank you," Francine responded in irritation and then hung up without saying good bye. _That was a waste of time; all I can do now is leave a message on his home answering machine._ Francine dialed the familiar number and waited for the beep so that she could leave her message.

"Hello Michael, this is Francine," she began but was surprised when Michael picked up the call. 

"Oh, Francine, it's good to hear your voice; I've missed you," Michael enthused although Francine thought he sounded tired. 

"It's good to hear your voice too; I was beginning to think that you'd dropped off the face of the earth," Francine countered. "I tried to get in touch with you through your secretary but she said that she wasn't in contact with you," Francine probed. 

"I told Linda that I was taking care of State Department business but I wasn't specific and I didn't check in with her. She didn't need to know what I was really dealing with," Michael explained. 

"What about me; are you going to tell me what you were really dealing with?"

"Yes, you're the only one that I feel like I can talk to about this. You have every right to be furious with me for disappearing for a week but I've found myself in a situation where I'm in over my head and I'd like to talk to you about it. Will you come to my place tonight, I'll cook dinner, please say that you'll come."

"I'll be there," Francine answered as she continued to question if she should follow her head or her heart. While Francine sat in the Q Bureau pondering whether or not to tell Billy that she'd be seeing Michael that evening Lee and Amanda arrived at his car and got in. Amanda buckled her seat belt and waited for Lee to start the car but when he sat there and didn't put the key in the ignition she glanced at him in a questioning way. 

"You don't think that we're going any place until you've told me what you're worried about; do you," Lee asked stubbornly. 

"Do you want to talk about it sitting in this cramped car?"

"No, I wanted to discuss it in our reasonably comfortable office but you flatly refused so we are going to discuss it here and now," Lee replied more angrily than he had intended to.

"I'm sorry," Amanda said as she looked down at her lap and began to twist the strap of her handbag. "I'm very worried about us and I was afraid to talk about it in there; who knows who might be listening?" 

"Amanda," Lee began in a deliberately calmer voice," we were alone in the office; who could possibly have been listening to us?"

"They could be listening to us without being there. Francine said that the Agency periodically investigates agents; they even look into our personal lives. Dr. Smyth may know all about us and he's just waiting to use it against us when it suits him."

"What's gotten into Francine, I thought that she was okay with our being together, why did she upset you this way?"

"Francine wasn't talking about us, she has her own concerns, besides blaming Francine doesn't solve our problem," Amanda fretted.

"Okay, Francine is right to an extent, they do check up on us from time to time. You know that they checked me out thoroughly during the Stemwinder mess; I don't think they'd do it again so soon. If Dr. Smyth knew about our marriage we'd know it because the man doesn't have enough self control to have that big a weapon against us and not use it right away," Lee tried to reassure Amanda.

"I guess you're right; I feel better…mostly."

"Mostly, what else is bothering you," Lee asked as reached out and took Amanda's left hand in his.

"I'm glad that our secret is probably safe but if we were caught then we could live like normal people; maybe unemployed but normal nonetheless."

"This mystery marriage wasn't one of my brightest ideas but now isn't a good time to reveal our secret. The Agency is in a full scale scramble to get this case solved and we need to focus on that. When this case is over we can sit down and figure out what would be best for our family. How does that sound to you?"

"Our family," Amanda asked in a husky voice.

"Yes, our family," Lee replied with a warm smile and then a tender kiss.

"Let's get this case solved," Amanda said as she handed Lee the car keys.


	8. Chapter 8

Changed Roles, chapter 8

Francine stood at the door to Michael's apartment and looked down disapprovingly at the outfit that she was wearing. Michael had called her while she was choosing what she would wear for their evening together and he had asked her to dress "casually" because he wanted them to be able to be comfortable. Francine left a pile of designer dresses lying on her bed and put on a burgundy colored cowl neck cashmere sweater and gray corduroy pants. _I could imagine Amanda wearing this outfit on a date but me…well she landed Lee when no one else could and I'm still alone so maybe I should take a page out of her playbook._ Francine put on her best agent face, rang the doorbell and was surprised by how quickly Michael answered the door.

"Hello, I'm so glad that you accepted my invitation on such short notice. Come in; dressing casually really suits you," Michael said as he looked Francine over from head to toe.

"Thank you, for the dinner invitation and the compliment; I wasn't sure where we stood after you left town abruptly and then didn't call me or respond to the messages I left with your secretary." _I'm in no mood to beat around the bush and I hope that you're going to be equally straight with me.  
_

"That's one of the things that drew me to you from the beginning; you say what you're thinking and let the chips fall where they may," Michael said with a smile as the lines at the corner of his eyes crinkled. "This past week has been hell; why can't other women be as honest as you are," Michael said tiredly as he and Francine walked towards opposite ends of his sofa. "Why don't you take off your shoes; I want you to feel at home here. May I get you a glass of wine? I can get you something stronger but I don't want to go there myself tonight."

"Wine would be fine for me as well; I have to be at work early tomorrow morning," Francine replied as Michael walked to the small bar in the corner of the room. _I just got here and he wants me to take my shoes off, oh hell, why not I took off more than that before dinner the last time I was here._ Francine slipped off her shoes and made herself comfortable at the end of the sofa as Michael returned with their wine glasses. He handed Francine her glass and then proceeded to sit at the opposite end of the sofa to Francine's disappointment. Francine took a sip from her glass and then looked squarely at Michael, "I'm glad that you appreciate my bluntness because there is something that's been bothering me since you called me last week."

"I want you to feel as though you can ask me anything; what's bothering you," Michael replied sincerely.

"When you broke our date last Saturday you said that you had to go to New York to deal with a family emergency but whenever you've spoken to me about your family in the past you've talked about Boston." Michael opened his mouth to reply but the look on Francine's face told him that she wasn't finished yet so he allowed her to continue speaking. "As I told you when we spoke earlier when I hadn't heard from you after several days I tried to contact you through your secretary and she repeatedly told me that you were away on business and she hadn't heard from you. Michael, you're as committed to your career as I am to mine, it isn't like you to drop out of contact with your office for that long. What's really going on with you?"

"You're right, my career is very important to me, since I've been living all alone in DC I've let my career take over my life. The emergency I was dealing with was very private and my secretary didn't need to know the truth," Michael replied.

"What about me, Michael, do I merit an honest explanation," Francine asked with more emotion in her voice than she had intended.

"Yes, of course you deserve an honest explanation and you got one, I was dealing with a family emergency. I wouldn't lie to you; you are the first woman that I've let myself get truly close to since…Liza."

"You told me that you were married briefly; was Liza your wife," Francine questioned.

Michael emptied his glass in one long drink and then replied," Yes, I was happily married for two months but apparently she wasn't, I came home one night and she was sitting in the living room with two packed suitcases. She said that she was sorry but she realized that she wasn't cut out for marriage and she thought that the best thing that we could do was make a clean break." Francine sat silently as Michael got up, walked back to the bar, and poured himself a scotch. "I know I said I wasn't going to go this route but if you want your explanation I'm going to need this drink."

"I'm sorry that Liza hurt you but wasn't that a long time ago," Francine asked.

"Sixteen years ago, but sometimes it seems like it was just yesterday. I stood in front of Liza and begged her to tell me what I'd done wrong; I assured her that I could and would change for her. Liza told me that I hadn't done anything wrong; she'd simply concluded that she wasn't meant to be married and wanted to be free to see where life led her." Michael took a gulp of his drink and then looked at Francine who was waiting for him to continue his story. "Liza told me that she would have a lawyer contact me about the divorce and I didn't hear from her again until last Saturday."

"Has she changed her mind after all this time; does she want you back in her life," Francine asked incredulously.

"No, she called me because she's facing a life or death emergency and I'm her only hope, her daughter needs a kidney transplant and Liza isn't a compatible donor but the girl's father might be."

"Are you telling me that you have a daughter," Francine asked as Michael sunk down on the sofa next to her.

"That's exactly what I asked Liza; I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea," Michael confided as he looked at Francine intently. "I'm so mixed up, that's why I need your help, you're so together and I'm desperately hoping that you care enough about me to help me get through this."


	9. Chapter 9

Changed Roles, chapter 9

"Are you telling me that you have a daughter," Francine asked as Michael sunk down onto the sofa next to her.

"That's exactly what I asked Liza; I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea," Michael confided as he looked at Francine intently. "I'm so mixed up, that's why I need your help, you're so together and I'm desperately hoping that you care enough about me to help me get through this."

Thrown by Michael's declaration Francine responded by saying the first thought that came to her mind, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Michael, but I'm-"

"I can't believe that I did it again; I thought that we could have…I thought that you truly cared for me," Michael said brokenly as he started to rise from the sofa. Francine grabbed his arm and kept him from getting up as she sighed and shook her head.

"You haven't misjudged my feelings for you; I care for you a great deal, what you've totally misjudged is how together I am. I learned at a fairly young age to not show vulnerability or uncertainty; my father made it abundantly clear that he had a low tolerance level for both. He wanted a son but he got me instead and he never made much of an effort to hide his disappointment from me as I grew older. I'm not together at all; I've simply gotten very good at projecting that image to protect myself from being hurt," Francine concluded sadly.

"I think that you're more together than you give yourself credit for being but even it is mostly an act; it has served you well," Michael said with a look of admiration on his face. "I should have told you how deeply hurt I was by Liza when you confided in me about how badly you were hurt by Jonathan but I'd never let anyone know how much her leaving me that way still haunts me. You didn't let your bad experience keep you from leading a full life; you're -"

"I'm almost thirty-five years old and I'm alone; if you think that I haven't let myself care too much for a man since Jonathan you'd be wrong. I was a mess when Jonathan dumped me and I fell into a relationship with a man at work who was also going through a rough time. He never mislead me about how he saw our relationship but I let myself hope that we could have a future together; I was still very focused on getting married."

"What happened," Michael asked kindly.

"When he sensed that my feelings for him were getting serious he ended things with me very abruptly. I was hurt and angry at the time but I came to realize that he'd done the right thing; we wouldn't have lasted as a couple because we're too much alike."

"In that case it sounds as if you're better off with him out of your life," Michael said sympathetically as he reached out and took Francine's hand in his.

"His name is Lee and he's become my closest friend," Francine explained to a surprised Michael who released her hand. Francine looked pointedly at the hand that Michael pulled back and said, "Lee is and will continue to be my closest friend; I hope you can handle that fact because while I care for you I love Lee as a friend. Lee is in a serious relationship with a terrific lady and he is no threat to you." Michael still had a slightly dubious look on his face so Francine continued, "When you stood me up last week I ran into Lee and his girlfriend's sons and wound up having dinner and spending the evening with them."

"You had dinner with your former lover and the sons of the woman he's currently seeing; don't you think that's a little strange," Michael questioned.

"That's exactly what Lee thought when the boys surprised him by inviting me to join them for dinner but he got over it. We had a great evening together and I got the chance to get to know two boys that I've been hearing about for years. I've never taken the time to get to know any kids before and I'm starting to realize what I've been missing out on."

"I tried not to think about not being a parent and it didn't actually bother me until my younger brother became a father. When I go up to Boston to visit I see what a special bond there is between a father and his children. My niece and nephew are four and six years old; they're a lot of fun to play with but all I've ever done is play with them and then I go home. What do I know about being a parent," Michael asked as he got up and returned to the bar to refill his scotch glass.

"Michael, every parent starts out as a beginner, but your daughter is much older than your niece and nephew are so you won't need to learn all the things that your brother did when he became a father. At fifteen years old your daughter isn't an impressionable little girl she must have strong thoughts and feelings of her own. I'm not an authority on teenage girls but since I once was one I suspect that she'll be fairly blunt in telling you what she thinks about your situation."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Michael admitted as he took a sip from his refilled drink. "Physically she's in very rough shape and the doctor only allowed me into her hospital room a few times for a couple of minutes each time. Liza insisted on being there each time and Lisa barely said a word to me. I understand that Liza is terribly upset but I think I deserve a chance to get to know my own daughter especially since she may not make it. Francine, am I being selfish?"

"Are you being selfish, are you kidding, Liza has kept your daughter a secret from you for fifteen years and she only revealed Lisa's existence to you now because of her medical problem. If you are going to risk your life by donating a kidney you most definitely have a right to spend some time alone with Lisa. And as long as we're discussing selfish; isn't it a little creepy that she practically named her daughter after herself," Francine concluded with an arched eyebrow.

"Thank you, I needed to hear you say the things that I've been thinking, when I'm around Liza I feel like I'm the hurt twenty-three year old that she walked out on again. I'm so grateful to have you in my life; you're the one woman that I can trust. I'm sure that any woman that would confess that her former lover is now her best friend wouldn't keep any secrets from me." Francine managed to keep her agent face in place but Michael's words tore at her heart. She couldn't reveal her assignment to him but she no longer wanted to do what Billy expected her to.


	10. Chapter 10

Changed Roles, chapter 10 

Lee was pulled from sleep by an increasingly loud knocking on the door to his apartment. _Did I oversleep?_ Lee sat up in bed and as his eyes began to focus he looked at his alarm clock which read 3:05 AM. _Amanda. Something must be very wrong._ Since Amanda shared her concerns with him regarding the possibility that the Agency was aware of their secret marriage Lee was torn about how to handle the situation. Part of him wanted to reveal their secret so that they could live as a family but he desperately feared that something terrible could happen to one of them if their connection to him was revealed. Lee ran to answer the door without stopping to put on his robe; arriving at the door he looked through the peephole and saw a disheveled Francine. 

"Where's Amanda," Lee demanded as soon as he opened the door.

"If she isn't here then I think it's safe to assume that she's fast asleep at home," Francine replied from her position in the hall since Lee hadn't fully opened the door. 

"If Amanda, the boys and Dotty are all alright what the hell are you doing banging on my door at this hour," Lee asked in exasperation as he ran his hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking about the time, I've made a mess of my life and I…shouldn't have turned to you for help."

Lee opened the door the rest of the way and grabbed Francine's arm, "No, I'm sorry, I want you to feel that you can turn to me whenever you need a friend. _Although I wish you'd restrict your visits to more conventional hours._ Come in and sit down while I throw on some clothes."

"You really have changed, I've seen everything that you've got, you're wearing pajamas isn't that clothed enough," Francine asked as she plopped down on his sofa in a very unladylike fashion.

"I suppose so," Lee replied as he sat down at the other end of the sofa, "are you in danger? Is someone threatening you?"

"No, my problems are mostly romantic; the Agency is just part of the problem. Didn't Amanda tell you everything that I talked to her about earlier; uhh yesterday morning?"

"Amanda takes your new found friendship very seriously. She kept whatever you told her to herself but I'm assuming that this is about the man you wouldn't talk to ME about last week," Lee replied in a way that suggested that he was hurt that Francine had confided in Amanda instead of him.

"Get over yourself Lee, I didn't plan to confide in Amanda, I just found myself telling her things I'd never talked to anyone else about," Francine explained.

"Yeah, I've found myself in that situation more times than I can count. Amanda is a good listener and she gives very good advice. I'm not qualified to give romantic advice; you know my track record, so how can I possibly help you?"

"You have a very colorful track record but that's in the past. I envy what you and Amanda have built together and I want that kind of relationship for myself. Do you offer the same level of confidentiality that Amanda does," a suddenly circumspect Francine asked. 

"Yes, Francine, I can keep a secret," Lee replied, "although I prefer not to keep secrets from Amanda."

"I don't expect you to keep anything from Amanda. I came to you because I need a man's point of view and," Francine tapered off. 

"Okay, I can give you a man's POV, what's your other reason for coming to me for advice? I know you aren't telling me your whole reason for coming to me instead of Amanda," Lee gently accused. 

"Amanda is a very good person; she doesn't manipulate people and keep secrets unless she has to do it as part of the job. She's better than we are; we tend to think of creative ways of getting ourselves out of tight spots and we don't let being less than honest bother us. I'll never be as straight arrow as Amanda but I want to be a better person than I've been in the past."

"Francine, there are two fundamental facts that you need to believe before I can try to help you. The first is that while you're right that Amanda is a very good person, she's not perfect, she's as human as the rest of us." Francine looked as though she were on the brink of interrupting so Lee stopped her with a stern look. "The second thing that you need to believe is even more important than the first. You are a good person and you deserve the chance to love and be loved; don't let your past history keep you from believing that."

"I want to believe that, I started to believe that, but then everything started to go to hell around me. What do you do when you start wanting things out of life that you spent years convincing yourself that you didn't need to be happy? My career is very important to me but I want to be more than just professionally successful," Francine said sadly.

"I still don't understand what the problem is; you told me that you met someone special so why are you worried about choosing between a relationship and your career," Lee questioned in mild frustration as he began to consider excusing himself to start a pot of coffee.

"My problems began, and I stress multiple problems, when Billy assigned me to investigate the man I've fallen in love with." 

"Love, are you sure you love him," a surprised Lee asked Francine.

"I wasn't sure until tonight when I was lying there next to him and-" 

"That's enough," Lee said as he was surprised by how uncomfortable that mental picture made him, "I don't need to hear the details." _I love Amanda so I'm not jealous but I never really considered that Francine would fall in love with another man. I've been the man in her life for so long, well not like that; will our friendship change if she's in a serious relationship?_

"Relax; I wasn't planning to share the details with you. I didn't think that any man would ever love me the way you love Amanda but now I think that Michael could love me that way but the deck is stacked against us. I've always fought for what I wanted but now I have no idea what I should do," Francine confessed as a lone tear ran down her cheek.


	11. Chapter 11

Changed Roles, chapter 11

"I didn't think that any man would ever love me the way you love Amanda but now I think that Michael could love me that way but the deck is stacked against us. I've always fought for what I wanted but now I have no idea what I should do," Francine confessed to Lee as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. Amanda rarely cried in Lee's presence but he'd grown adept at comforting her when she did cry but the prospect that Francine might begin to cry unnerved Lee and it showed on his face. "Don't worry Scarecrow; I have no intention of allowing myself to cry," Francine said as she swiped at the lone tear.

"It might not be so terrible if you did give in to the urge occasionally, sometimes it actually helps, denying your feelings won't do you any good in the long run," Lee told an unconvinced Francine whose only response was an arched eyebrow. "Don't look at me that way, I know what I'm talking about, I did everything that I could to deny my feelings and I only succeeded in ensuring that I was alone and miserable. If Amanda hadn't been-"

"I understand that Amanda changed you but that isn't going to work for me with Michael because he doesn't think that I need his help; he actually wants me to help him get his life together," Francine interjected.

"You don't really understand about me and Amanda; you jumped to the same mistaken conclusion that I did until Amanda set me straight. Amanda stubbornly worked at knocking down the walls I'd built around my heart but she didn't change me," Lee told Francine. "Nobody can change another person unless the other person truly wants to change. Amanda helped me to come to terms with my past and she showed me that my past didn't have to prevent me from leading a full life now but I had to be willing to change how I was living. Don't let whatever it is that's worrying you now prevent you from fighting for what you want the way you always have."

"That's easy for you to say; you have no idea what I'm up against," Francine said as she took off her shoes and put her legs up on the sofa. "Why don't you fix us some drinks and then I'll tell you everything?"

"I think you've probably had enough to drink already and we both have to be at work in a few hours so I'm going to make us a pot of decaf. Would you like some cookies on the side; Amanda baked them?" 

"You really have turned into a normal person; this is the second time in a week that you've discouraged me from drinking an alcoholic beverage. Michael and I drank more than we planned to earlier but I'm not drunk," Francine said defensively.

"I know that you aren't drunk but I think that you've had enough; you're a grown woman so I'll fix you a drink if you insist but if you do drink more I'm not letting you leave here until you've slept it off."

"I don't have to put up with your condescending attitude; you aren't my father," Francine yelled at Lee and began to stand unsteadily.

"No, I'm not your father or anyone else's," Lee said sadly as he jumped up to steady Francine. "What I am is your closest friend and I'm worried about you; please sit down and let me make some coffee for both of us," Lee said as Francine allowed herself to be pushed back down onto the sofa.

"I'll take you up on your offer of coffee as long as Amanda's cookies are still part of the offer but before you go I want to ask you a very serious question," Francine said as she looked at Lee intently. "I can see that you've gotten very close to Amanda's boys but does it ever bother you that you don't have a child of your own?"

"Amanda's cookies are still part of my offer; excuse me for a couple of minutes so I can get the coffee started," Lee replied and then left the room without addressing Francine's more serious question. Francine remained seated on the sofa and considered Lee's abrupt exit from the room. _What's wrong with me? The only real comfort I gave Michael was in bed and now I've upset Lee when he was trying to be my friend._ Francine got up and went after Lee who she found measuring scoops of coffee grounds.

"You're a good friend, I'm sorry that I've been acting like a jerk, and I'm sorry that I upset you," Francine said sincerely.

"Don't worry about it; you've put up with much worse behavior from me," Lee answered but he continued preparing their snack without looking at Francine.

"Lee, I really am sorry that I upset you-" 

"I'm not upset; everything is fine," Lee insisted as he placed Amanda's cookies on a plate and walked towards the living room with Francine right behind him.

"I know you too well to believe that; I shouldn't have asked you such a potentially painful question. I was caught up in thinking about why Michael is so thrown by becoming a father and I didn't consider how different his situation is from your situation with Amanda."

"Are you telling me that you're having his baby," Lee demanded as Amanda let herself into the apartment with her key.


	12. Chapter 12

Changed Roles, chapter 12

"I'm not upset; everything is fine," Lee attempted to convince Francine as she followed him from the kitchen to the living room of his apartment.

"I know you to well to believe that; I shouldn't have asked you such a potentially painful question. I was caught up in thinking about why Michael is so thrown by becoming a father and I didn't consider how different his situation is from your situation with Amanda."

"Are you telling me that you're having his baby," Lee demanded of Francine as Amanda let herself into the apartment with her key.

"You're pregnant; why didn't you tell me that yesterday," Amanda questioned as she looked past Francine at her secret husband who was standing, clad in his pajamas, still holding onto to a plate of her home baked cookies.

"I didn't tell you that yesterday because I'm not pregnant; I wouldn't be that careless," Francine responded to Amanda while Lee simmered behind them.

"I can't believe this," Lee exploded, "you've just come from his bed even though you know that he's fathered another woman's baby."

"Lee, stop yelling at Francine, yelling doesn't accomplish anything. Why don't you go put on some clothes," Amanda suggested.

"Amanda, uhh, I can explain…," a suddenly embarrassed Lee started to explain.

"I trust you both: you don't need to explain but you do need to go someplace so that Francine and I can talk," Amanda stated in the tone of voice she would use with one of her boys when she didn't want her wishes to be questioned.

"I'm NOT going anyplace; it isn't even 4 AM yet and you've both arrived at my apartment uninvited," a frazzled Lee responded as he shifted his weight from one bare foot to the other and took a calming breath. "Maybe I will put some clothes on, I'm starting to feel under dressed, and then I'll get our coffee," Lee said as he put down the plate of cookies and quickly left the room.

"Lee is right; I shouldn't have come here and certainly not in the wee hours of the morning. Thanks for being so understanding about finding me in your…boyfriend's apartment like this; I'll go now," Francine said as she grabbed her coat from where it was draped over the back of the sofa.

"Please don't go; I'm surprised that you confided in Lee after you made such a point of asking me not to talk to Lee about the things that you told me yesterday. I'm glad that you changed your mind about including Lee; I'd rather not keep secrets from him unless I have a very good reason for doing so," Amanda said as she took off her own coat and draped it over a chair. Francine put her own coat back where it had been and the two women sat down at opposite ends of the sofa.

"I had dinner at Michael's place and I found out where he disappeared to and why.

What he told me left me totally off balance; his secret was nothing I ever considered and I don't know how to deal with it. I realized that I needed a man's POV so I came to Lee without thinking about what time it was."

"I can understand that; I couldn't stop thinking about a conversation I had with Lee yesterday so I came here to continue our talk. It isn't something that I wanted to talk about at my house or the office so I was going to make myself comfortable here and wait for Lee to wake up." As Amanda finished what she was saying she and Francine saw Lee dash from his bedroom into the kitchen. "If it's okay with you I'm going to tell Lee that he can come out of the kitchen. You came here for his male POV and I don't want to get in the way of your getting it," Amanda said as she stood up.

"I'd like Lee's input but I don't want to prevent you from continuing your conversation with him; if it wasn't important you wouldn't be here."

"We've been putting off dealing with our situation for a long time; waiting a little longer won't do any harm. Lee and I both want to be here for you; we'll try to help you if we possibly can." An irritated Lee started to make noise in the kitchen to remind his guests of his presence. "Lee, come out here and join us before you wake up your neighbors," Amanda said as she smiled at Francine. Lee came into the room dressed in jeans and a long sleeved tee; carrying three mugs of coffee.

While handing a mug to Francine Lee began to apologize to her, "I'm sorry I overreacted before; I care about you and I don't want to see you hurt again. Will you explain to me why you're involved with a guy that is expecting a baby with another woman?"

"He isn't expecting a baby with another woman," Francine tried to clarify only to be interrupted by Lee again.

"You said that the guy was thrown by becoming a father."

"The guy's name is Michael," Francine and Amanda said in unison.

"Have you met him," Lee challenged Amanda.

"No, but I'd like to meet him," Amanda replied as she glanced at Francine.

"No, no way, I think Michael has enough women in his life already," Lee huffed.

"I'm the only woman in Michael's life," Francine stated with new found confidence.

"Why did you tell Lee that Michael was going to become a father if there is no baby," a confused Amanda asked Francine.

"What I tried to tell Lee was that Michael just found out that he is a father; his daughter is fifteen years old. The girl's mother only told Michael about her because she was severely injured in an accident and won't survive unless she receives an organ donation. She doesn't want to let Michael be a part of their daughter's life she only wants his kidney."

"Oh my gosh, that's so sad, how is Michael handling the situation," Amanda asked.

"He isn't coping well at all; I don't think that he ever completely got over their divorce."

"How could he not know about the child if they were married? Are you sure that he is being straight with you," Lee asked as he tried to keep his anger under control.

"He didn't know about the baby because his wife walked out on him after only two months of marriage and he didn't hear from her again until last week," Francine defended Michael.

"He must be a real prize package if she walked out on him after only two months," Lee observed snidely.

"Who do you think you are, with your track record with women, you have no right to judge Michael," Francine yelled at Lee.

"Stop it both of you; we're all too overtired to discuss this reasonably. Francine, I think that you should try to get a couple of hours of sleep here on the sofa while Lee and I get some sleep in the bedroom," Amanda suggested strongly. Amanda grabbed Lee's hand and led him from the room before he and Francine could say anything else.


	13. Chapter 13

Changed Roles, chapter 13

Amanda conscientiously set her alarm clock before going to sleep every night even though she tended to wake up on her own a few minutes before the alarm was scheduled to sound each morning. She enjoyed lying in bed with her eyes still closed as she mentally reviewed the prior day and contemplated what the day ahead might entail. Something about this morning felt different; the room seemed warmer and lighter and then she sensed that she wasn't alone in bed so her eyes flew open. Amanda's still sleep fogged mind recognized that she was in Lee's bed not her bed at home as she gazed at his sleeping form on the far side of the bed. _What's he doing all the way over there; he usually enjoys snuggling as much as I do when we can be together?_ As the last vestiges of sleep cleared Amanda remembered dragging Lee away from his squabbling with Francine so that they could all get a few hours of sleep. _I should quietly take a shower, get dressed and then make breakfast before they start round two._ Amanda gingerly slipped from the bed without waking Lee.

Half an hour later Amanda tiptoed past a still sleeping Lee and went into his kitchen to brew a fresh pot of coffee and prepare breakfast for herself and Francine; as Amanda was rummaging through the refrigerator Francine walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning Amanda, the coffee smells wonderful, may I have a cup before I leave?"

"Good morning, you can certainly have coffee, I'm fixing breakfast for us," Amanda told Francine who looked more rumpled than Amanda had ever seen her look.

"Thank you for including me but I can't stay for breakfast; I don't have time to stay and still have time to go home and get showered and dressed for work. Look at me, no don't look at me, I've only let one person see me like this," Francine said as she tried to tame her tousled hair, "and I hadn't intended for him to see me looking so…"

"So normal; you look the way most people do first thing in the morning," Amanda tried to reassure Francine. "Don't let whatever Lee said when he saw you like this bother you."

"In all the years that Lee and I have known each other he's never seen me this way," Francine advised Amanda.

"Was it Jonathan," Amanda asked tentatively as she turned from Francine back to the refrigerator. 

"No, that wasn't what scared Jonathan off," Francine said in a less bitter tone than Amanda had expected. 

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have pursued the issue," Amanda said as she took containers of milk and orange juice out of the refrigerator. 

"It was Michael; this past summer we'd gone to a concert in the park and we were caught in a torrential downpour. We were soaked to the skin and we went back to his place to dry off. Michael let me shower first and he put out a tee shirt and a pair of his sweat pants for me to put on while we waited for my clothes to dry. After I showered I put on his clothes and went back into the bathroom to try to do something with my hair; it was still damp and all frizzy. I couldn't do much to style it so I came out of the bathroom to get what little makeup I had in my handbag and there he was standing in the doorway of the bedroom smiling at me. I was mortified and it must have shown on my face because he walked over to me without saying a word and kissed me tenderly. He stepped back and told me that he'd never seen me look more beautiful because he'd never seen the real me before. My first reaction was that it was just a line but then I looked at the way he was looking at me and I believed he meant it. I felt…so safe with him and so scared of what I could feel for him all at the same time. Why am I telling you all this? I've told Michael things that I've never told anyone else before and now I'm doing it with you. What's happening to me," Francine asked in a heartbreakingly vulnerable voice.

"You're allowing some of the walls that you built up around yourself so that you couldn't be hurt come down; and I know from personal experience that it's scary as hell," Lee said as he entered the kitchen.

"How long have you been standing there," Francine accused angrily.

"I just walked in; all I heard was you asking Amanda why you're talking to her and Michael so openly. Even though this is my apartment I'll go back to the bedroom if it'll make you feel better but you did say that you came here for my male point of view."

"You're right; I came here for advice because Michael asked me to do something for him and I wasn't sure if I should do it or not. Seeing the two of you together and thinking about the unconditional way you support each other has erased my doubts. I'm going to do what Michael wants me to and my career be damned," Francine told a shocked Lee and Amanda. 


	14. Chapter 14

Changed Roles, chapter 14

Lee and Amanda had been through so much in the years that they'd known each other that it took a lot to shock them but Francine's declaration that she was going to do what Michael had asked of her and her "career be damned" left them stunned. Amanda was uncharacteristically silent and Lee blurted out the first thought that came to his mind.

"Are you crazy? You barely know the man but you're willing to throw your career away for him," Lee yelled as he moved into Francine's personal space.

"Back off Scarecrow, how well did you know Amanda when you committed treason to get her back from the Soviets," Francine asked as she put her palms on Lee's chest and pushed him backwards.

"That was totally different," Lee defended as he allowed her to push him backwards.

"How was it different; we'd only known each other for two months when you did that," Amanda pointed out much to Lee's irritation.

"Whose side are you on," Lee demanded as he looked at Amanda angrily and walked up to her.

"Calm down," Amanda said as she rubbed Lee's upper arm," this isn't about taking sides; we're supposed to be helping Francine to figure out what will make her the happiest in the long run."

"Thank you Amanda, you've both helped me more than you know, I've made up my mind. I didn't say that I plan to throw away my career; I said that I was willing to risk my career so that I can be with Michael when he needs me. We have gotten to know each other and Michael accepts me as I am. He's gotten to know all of me and I think he loves me."

"Did he say the words," Lee asked in a more measured tone.

"No, not yet, how long did it take you to say those words to Amanda," Francine asked calmly.

"Francine has a good point there, Lee," Amanda interjected.

"A man da, you're doing it again," Lee said in frustration.

"I'm simply being honest with Francine; we'd known each other for three years before you said those three magic words to me. I wish it hadn't taken you so long but I don't regret giving you the time you needed to be ready to tell me; you were worth waiting for. Shouldn't Francine give Michael the time he may need?"

"I can't argue with that logic," Lee conceded turning from Amanda to Francine," I just don't want to see you hurt again."

"Lee, that means a lot to me and believe me I don't want to be hurt again but if I'm not willing to take some risks I'll spend the rest of my life alone. I'm so tired of being alone, I want a life with Michael and I'm going to fight for it, I hope you'll stand by me," Francine concluded and looked at Lee hopefully.

"I'll," Lee began to say to Francine before being nudged by Amanda, "we'll always stand by you but I intend to check this guy out personally. I'll be discreet."

"Lee," Amanda began to scold before being stopped by a shake of Francine's head.

"I think it's kind of sweet, he wouldn't be Lee if he wasn't planning to check Michael out, and Billy will be thrilled that the great Scarecrow is checking Michael out even if it is unofficially," Francine said with a smile.

"What are you planning to do about the assignment that Mr. Melrose gave you," Amanda asked.

"I'm going to tell Billy that Michael invited me to spend a few days in New York with him. He'll see it as the perfect opportunity for me to get information from Michael so he'll happily let me go," Francine explained. "Michael wants me to go to New York with him for moral support. He needs to have more medical tests done and he is going to try again to see his daughter alone. Maybe if I'm with Michael it'll be harder for his ex to get to him. He told me that being around her made him feel like he was twenty-three again."

"If his ex can still get to him after all these years are you sure," Lee began before Amanda silenced him with one word.

"Eva"

"You're right, Francine, having you with him will make a huge difference to Michael and he'll never forget that you cared enough about him to go with him," Lee offered.

"I hate to break up this conversation when we all finally agree on something but if we don't get to work soon Mr. Melrose is going to be really angry," Amanda cautioned.

"It's much later then I realized; I have to go home right now and change clothes. Thanks for being such good friends. I've never had friends that I trusted completely before," Francine said as she grabbed her coat and rushed from the apartment.

"I can't stand this; how long are we going to keep lying to Francine and everyone else that we love," Amanda asked Lee.


	15. Chapter 15

Changed Roles, chapter 15

Lee raked his hand through his hair, sighed deeply, opened his mouth and then closed it before he finally responded to Amanda's question. 

"Amanda, we talked about this yesterday, I thought that we agreed that now is not a good time to reveal our marriage."

"Is there ever going to be a good time," Amanda asked as she fingered her wedding set that hung on a chain around her neck. "When I woke up here earlier I was surprised to find myself in bed with you; a married couple should wake up together regularly. I thought that you enjoyed waking up with me snuggled against you."

"I love sharing my bed with you," Lee replied as he took Amanda's hands in his, "I love sharing my life with you but we have to think about the Agency. The Agency-" 

"Francine is right," Amanda interrupted as she pulled her hands from his, "the Agency be damned."

"Amanda," he exclaimed in response to her use of harsh language. 

"Don't 'Amanda' me; I know what it's like to be married in name only and I shouldn't have agreed to try it again. I want to really be Mrs. Lee Stetson."

"You really are Mrs. Lee Stetson, I'll never regret marrying you, and our wedding day was the happiest day of my life. For the longest time I believed that the Colonel would be the only family I'd ever have but when you became my wife, you and your family became my family. I'll sacrifice whatever I have to in order to keep you all safe and happy. This business cost me my parents, and I won't put our family at risk by openly being a part of it." Amanda could see the sense of loss, pain and fear that Lee was feeling written on his face before he abruptly turned from her and walked across the room to lean against the mantle with his back to her.

"I appreciate your determination to protect all of us but I think that you're failing to consider a very important factor; maybe it's your male ego that's getting in the way of your seeing our situation clearly."

"Male ego," Lee huffed as he spun around to face Amanda. "What does that have to do with my desire to make sure that I don't endanger our family?"

"Your ego may be preventing you from acknowledging that I've been making enemies too, I've spent the past four years right beside you, do you think that the bad guys are concerned about what my official status with the Agency has been? Scarecrow and Mrs. King have quite a reputation and we both have the enemies that come with that reputation. We make a very formidable team and I'd like us to be able to protect our family full time." 

"You've made your point but there are other factors to consider too. Are your mother and the boys truly ready to accept me as a full time part of the family," Lee asked with downcast eyes.

"Are you serious? They're more than ready; maybe it's you that isn't ready to make such a drastic change to your lifestyle. I think that you should give that possibility serious thought. It's gotten late; I'm going to work," Amanda advised Lee as she grabbed her coat and hand bag and rushed from the apartment. 

"Oh hell," Lee exclaimed as he grabbed his own coat and chased after his wife.


	16. Chapter 16

Francine pulled up in front of her Georgetown apartment building after making the drive from Lee's nearby apartment in record time. The rush hour traffic was beginning to build and Francine's neighbors were starting to leave for work. This wasn't the first time that she had arrived home as her neighbors with more conventional careers were starting their days but she still felt uncomfortable as she dashed past them and into the lobby of her building.

There had been many mornings when Francine had arrived home dressed in what she thought of as her couture cat burglar outfit after an all night mission. She'd also come home in designer evening wear after spending the night with an affluent eligible bachelor, but this morning wasn't like those either. Francine wearily let herself into her apartment, walked past the blinking light on her answering machine, and headed straight for the bathroom. She flipped two switches simultaneously and the room was flooded with light from overhead and from smaller lights surrounding the large vanity mirror over the sink. Francine squinted and then shook her head disapprovingly at her reflection in the mirror.

 _I look absolutely awful._ She pulled her rumpled cashmere sweater over her head and tossed it in the hamper, followed by her wool slacks. Standing, dressed only in a lacy bra and panties, she studied her blood shot eyes and her face with most of the makeup worn off. _I can't remember the last time I looked so bad on a morning after._ She reached into the shower to adjust the spray of the showerhead and then removed her lingerie. _I shouldn't be surprised that I look so bad…I just spent the night in the apartments of two different men._ Francine stepped into the shower and allowed the steaming hot water to wash over her as she began to reflect on the events of the previous evening.

 _Francine and Michael lay side by side after their lovemaking. He'd quickly fallen asleep, but she couldn't sleep despite being drowsy due to their activity and all that she'd had to drink earlier in the evening. She watched him as he quietly snored and couldn't help marveling at the fact that he hadn't pulled away from her before going to sleep. 'Every man I've ever been with has pulled away afterwards…even Jonathan…maybe that should have told me something? Being here with Michael…having him love me and believe in me feels so good, but-. Don't go looking for problems, hmpff, I don't have to look…disappointment always finds me.' She shivered slightly and pulled the blanket up higher as she continued to watch Michael sleeping peacefully beside her. 'He's already thinking of us as a couple; a couple with a future together. I can imagine it too, Francine Desmond - Tanner, am I getting carried away? Michael is facing so many problems with his ex and their daughter. He expects me to help him through an emotional minefield…how can I help him when I don't know how to deal with my own emotions?' She felt a lone tear run down her cheek; she wiped it away briskly and quietly slipped from the bed._

Francine was brought back to the present as the water washing over her grew cold. She adjusted the faucet to add more hot water and then began to lather up and hastily completed her shower. She quickly wrapped a towel around herself and once again studied herself in the mirror. After quickly towel drying her blond locks, she reached for her comb and let out a long sigh. _I guess an occasional bad hair day is inevitable._ She grabbed her dryer and began to use it, and a styling brush to blow her hair out straight. _How do all the women who 'have it all' manage to get to work on time, looking so good, and still take care of their families?_ Once her hair was mostly dry she expertly wove it into a French braid. She quickly applied her makeup, heavy on the concealer and dashed over to her walk in closet. _Amanda didn't look thrown together this morning…she wasn't wearing the clothes she arrived in. I've spent so much time looking down on her that I didn't realize that she's the one of us that's really living a full life. If I can help Michael get through the next few days I think I need to have a very long talk with Amanda._ Francine quickly selected an elegant cobalt blue dress and the appropriate accessories to complete her transformation from frazzled exhaustion to fashion plate. She wasn't sure what the day ahead would bring but she'd look as though she could handle anything that was thrown her way.


	17. Chapter 17

Lee strode quickly down the corridor leading to the bullpen in hope of arriving before Billy's morning staff meeting ended. As Lee walked through the double doors at the entrance to the bullpen a crowd of agents was exiting the conference room; he pivoted quickly but Billy spotted him before he was able to escape unnoticed.

"Scarecrow, I want to see you in my office now," Billy barked.

"I'll just grab a cup of coffee and then I'll join you there," Lee said tiredly.

"You'll join me now or I guarantee you that you'll need something a lot stronger than coffee when I'm finished with you," Billy demanded and then turned and walked briskly to his office with Lee following him. "Close the door; I don't want an audience for this conversation," Billy said quietly.

"Ahh, Billy, I'm sorry that I was late for the morning briefing," Lee offered lamely as he leaned against the office window.

"Sit down," Billy said in a firm tone as he placed his forearms on his desk and steepled his fingers.

"I'd rather-," Lee interrupted him.

"I don't care what you'd rather; I said sit down." Once Lee was seated Billy continued," Yesterday morning the confrontation between you and Francine delayed the beginning of the briefing and then Francine and Amanda failed to be there once it did begin. This morning all three of you missed the briefing; I've tolerated a good deal of insubordination from you over the years but now your bad habits are rubbing off on them. Where are they?"

"Maybe Amanda got off to a late start this morning. I'm sure she'll be here any minute. Francine might have overslept; I could call her place and check," Lee suggested helpfully.

"I thought of that an hour ago when she wasn't here to help me prepare for the briefing. I phoned her apartment and got no answer. Now would you care to tell me where Francine and Amanda actually are and why you are looking so sleep deprived this morning?"

"Last night was just one of those nights…I had trouble getting to sleep and then when I finally did, something woke me up."

"If I were to accept your excuse at face value," Billy replied as he eyed Lee skeptically, "that still doesn't explain why Francine and Amanda aren't here." Lee frowned as he considered possible responses he could offer.

"What makes you think I know where they are? They're both very independent women with lives of their own…they don't tell me-"

"Spare me, Scarecrow, I might have accepted that line a year ago or even a month ago but after what I've seen over the last few days I simply don't buy it." Billy rose from his chair and seated himself on the corner of his desk. "The three of you have been thick as thieves; aside from yesterday morning's blowup in the bullpen. What are the three of you up to?"

"Up to?" J _eez, I must be getting desperate, I'm answering questions with questions like Amanda does._ "Do you really believe that we could all agree on something AND then continue to get along with each other long enough to engage in a successful conspiracy?"

"During the last year or so I've gotten the impression that Francine and Amanda are getting along much better; wouldn't you agree?"

"I… I think they've come to see things in each other that they didn't see initially. They've developed a much better working relationship."

"Do you think that it's possible that they've become friendly enough to start sharing confidences," Billy asked Lee who was squirming internally but trying to keep his face as neutral as possible.

"It's possible but if they're sharing confidences with each other how would I know about it," he replied thinking that that response would get him off the hook. Billy stood up and walked behind his desk, reached into a drawer and reached for an antacid. They'd reached a stalemate so Billy sat down in his chair and scowled at Lee as he popped the antacid into his mouth.


	18. Chapter 18

Changed Roles, chapter 17

As he continued to chew on the antacid Francine knocked on the office door in a preemptory manner and rushed in.

"Good morning Billy, Lee, I'm sorry to barge in but I have to speak to you; it's urgent."

"If you'll both excuse me, Amanda and I have several people to see this morning. We have appointments on Capitol Hill that may shed some light on who might want to see the President's arms control agenda derailed." Lee left the office quickly and Francine seated herself in the chair he had vacated.

"I'm sorry that I'm late but I don't think that you'll mind once you've heard the reason why I'm late," Francine began confident that her ploy to get Billy to agree to allow her to go to New York would work.

"You're sure, are you," Billy asked as he reached for another antacid.

"I had dinner with Michael Tanner last night. He invited me to spend a few days in New York with him; it's the perfect opportunity for me to get close to him. Isn't that what you wanted me to do," Francine asked in her best eager to please the boss voice.

"I got the distinct impression that you didn't want to take this assignment," he replied suspiciously.

"I didn't initially but things have changed. I'm going to prove to you that no matter how long Suzanne Peters works at it she will never be the agent that I am. If you want the best person for this job I'm it."

"What about your personal reservations regarding this assignment," an unconvinced Billy questioned. "Have your personal feelings for Tanner changed as well?"

"I found out that I don't know him as well as I thought I did. I want to find out as much as I can about him before I get any more involved with him. This trip is the ideal opportunity for me to get answers for the Agency and for myself. Should I call Michael and tell him that you agreed to let me take a few personal days even though I asked you at the last minute. He'll never suspect my motives for going with him since it is a last minute decision." Francine moved to sit at the edge of the chair as if the only thing stopping her from getting up was Billy's acquiescence.

"If I agree to this; when would you be leaving?"

"Michael will be flying up tomorrow. He has some business to take care of at State today. May I tell him that I can go with him," Francine asked as she stood up.

"Yes, tell him that I agreed to let you go but I can only give you two days," Billy said reasserting his authority. "I expect results."

"Don't worry; when I go after something I don't let anything get in my way," Francine declared as she breezed out of the office.

"That's precisely what I'm worried about," Billy said aloud as soon as she'd closed the door behind her.

While Billy sat at his desk wondering where Francine's loyalties actually lay Amanda was sitting at her desk replaying her conversation with Lee in her mind. She wasn't really angry with him she concluded; she was angry at the situation that they were in. They had discussed the pros and cons of the mystery marriage when Lee had first suggested it and they had both agreed that it was the best way to protect her family. _How can I fault him for embracing my family as his own and wanting to protect them? Maybe that is his only reason for wanting to keep things as they are?_

"Amanda, you were right earlier," Lee stated startling Amanda who was lost in her own thoughts when he quietly entered their office. "I am resistant to change and I don't like to find myself in situations where I feel as though I'm out of my league. I'm accustomed to being the senior agent, having all the answers, but I've learned a lot from you over the years," he acknowledged as he perched on the corner of her desk.

Taking Lee's statement as an olive branch Amanda responded," As the junior agent I've found myself in plenty of situations where I realized that I was in over my head and you helped me get my bearings. I think it's time for us to trade roles in certain areas. We can strategize more later; right now we'd better head over to Capitol Hill," Amanda concluded. They both fought the urge to share a kiss but the intense way that they looked at each spoke volumes as they hurried from the office to the relative privacy of Lee's car.


	19. Chapter 19

Shortly after leaving Billy's office Francine picked up two file folders and walked out of the bullpen and down the corridor to the empty office that she and Amanda had ducked into the day before. She sat down at the desk and opened one of the folders so that it would appear that she was working. Francine was in a hurry to call Michael to accept his invitation but there were too many ears in the bullpen. She didn't doubt that her travel plans would end up on the Agency grapevine but she didn't want any hint of the true nature of her plans to get out. Francine took a deep calming breath and then dialed a new phone number that Michael had given her so that she could bypass his secretary. The phone only rang once before it was answered.

"Hello, this is Michael Tanner," he said distractedly.

"Good morning, it's me, Francine. You don't sound so good; are you alright?"

"I'm okay; I'd be better if I'd woken up with you beside me instead of waking up and finding the note that you left me. If I did something to upset you I wish you'd told me about it. I know I drank more than I'd planned to and I blindsided you by dumping my problems on you-"

"Whoa, Michael, can I say something," Francine interjected as she sat twisting the phone wire nervously. "I'm not upset with you. Considering all that you've faced in the last week I don't blame you for needing a few stiff drinks and you didn't dump your problems on me; you shared them with me. I'm not someone who other people usually come to for support and comfort, it's a new role for me but I want to help you in any way that I can. Will you let me?"

"I want to…but I'm not sure I should…I didn't plan on revealing so much of myself to you so quickly," Michael sighed. "We'd been taking things slowly, really getting to know each other, and now I'm…"

When Michael's voice faded to silence at the other end of the line Francine jumped in," You're feeling vulnerable, don't you think I am too, I never talked to anyone about Jonathan as openly as I did with you."

"Not even your friend Lee," he asked with barely concealed jealousy.

"No, not even Lee," Francine laughed, "he wasn't much of a talker back then. It's strange; I see him everyday but sometimes I lose track of how much he's changed since he met Amanda."

"He changed to please her," Michael guessed thinking back to his offer to change for Liza if she'd give him a second chance.

"No, he changed because spending time getting to know Amanda helped him to admit that he wasn't happy with the way he was living. Amanda gave him a nudge but he had to be willing to let go of his past and move forward. It's working for them and I think it could work for us."

"The note that you left me said that you left before I woke up because you needed to get to work early this morning."

"That's right-"

"Francine, I woke up and reached out for you but I was all alone, it wasn't even 4 AM yet. I know you keep some crazy hours in your business but I'm not a fool; why did you really leave in the middle of the night," Michael asked in a voice that demanded an honest reply.

"Hey, you haven't cornered the market on feeling overwhelmed and uncertain. I was completely prepared to stand by you here but you took me by surprise when you asked me to go to New York with you. I wasn't sure that I was up to helping you face all that up close and I didn't want to let you down and I wasn't even sure that I could get the time off from work. I needed a little time and space to work through this." _I'm not actually lying to him; I'm just not telling him that I worked through my feelings by going to Lee. It's only a lie of omission._

"Did you call me now to tell me that you've reached a decision about my invitation?"

"Yes, I want to go with you but my boss will only let me have two days off. Maybe we can set aside a little time for us when you aren't at the hospital," Francine suggested hopefully.

"Count on it. If it's okay with you I'll make our travel plans and I'll call you later with the details."

"That sounds good to me…I'll talk to you later. Bye." Francine reached to hang up the phone and saw that she had been twisting the phone wire so tightly that it left deep grooves in her fingers. _Get a grip, Francine; you've only put your whole future on the line for a man that you've only known for six months._


	20. Chapter 20

Lee and Amanda entered the Russell Senate Office building; the oldest of the three buildings that contained the offices of all US Senators. Lee strode purposefully through the building's rotunda while Amanda lagged behind, gazing at the elaborate architecture in much the same way a tourist would. He turned around to hurry her along, but the irritated expression on his face disappeared as he looked at her staring awestruck at the dome above them with a happy smile on her face.

"Amanda, we need to pick up our pace, we're running late for our appointment with Senator Roberts. We can come back another day, maybe bring the boys along, to do the tourist thing."

"I know you think it's silly that I'm still impressed by all this, with my having grown up in Arlington, but I see something new whenever I'm here."

He reached out his hand and she readily took it as they walked towards their meeting at a brisker speed. _I don't think it's silly; I see something new whenever I see a place through her eyes._ As they entered the usually busy marble corridor that housed the senator's office they were confronted by a heavily armed Capitol Hill police officer. After showing their Agency identification and explaining that they had an appointment they were allowed to enter Senator Robert's outer office.

"Good morning, we're Agents Stetson and King from the Agency, we have a ten-thirty appointment with Senator Roberts," Lee told the receptionist.

"I'm sorry Agent Stetson, the Senator's plans changed suddenly this morning, and he can't be here to meet with you."

"Senator Roberts demanded this meeting, he set the time and place," Lee complained. "Doesn't he understand what's at stake here?" He raked a hand through his hair and scowled at the receptionist.

"Yes, Sir, he knows precisely what is at stake; that's why he wanted to be at home this morning when his grandson returns from the hospital. He would appreciate it if you and your partner would meet with him there; I will give you the address and directions."

Well over an hour later, Lee was navigating his Corvette through the winding roads of the Virginia countryside with his mood growing angrier with each mile that he drove. Amanda had given up on her attempt to calm his nerves by engaging him in casual conversation when her efforts only drew monosyllabic responses or grunts. As the posted speed limits dropped, Lee drummed the fingers of his right hand against the steering wheel in increasing frustration.

"I'm sure we'll get there soon," Amanda offered when she could no longer stand the thudding sound of his fingers in the otherwise silent car.

"You're sure, are you," he challenged with a cross expression on his face. "I don't know where the hell we are anymore; there haven't been any road signs other than those damn speed limit postings for the last twenty miles. The nerve of that receptionist handing us a page of instructions and telling us that the Senator doesn't appreciate guests who arrive late. Maybe he should have considered that when he changed the meeting place without notifying us of the switch."

"His mind must have been on other things; the past few days must have been very difficult for him. The thought of an innocent little boy being injured by a car bomb makes my blood run cold." Lee reached out and stroked her hand with his and then returned it to the steering wheel.

"I'm sorry I've been so cranky; I'm tired and I feel as though our lives are spinning out of control. The Agency is taking over…it didn't used to bother me…the Agency was my life, but I don't want to live that way anymore. You were right earlier; we have a right to a life together as a family." He raked his hand through his hair and looked at Amanda sadly.

"We're going to be okay." She gently smoothed the hair that he had just ruffled and smiled at him reassuringly. "We've taken the first step towards regaining control by deciding to put our personal lives ahead of our careers."

"That takes care of us, but what about Francine? I've never seen her like this before…not even after Jonathan left her at the altar. She was deeply hurt and upset but she didn't doubt that she had as much right to be happy as anyone else. When she arrived at my place last night she seemed so confused and vulnerable…I didn't know how to help her."

"You did help her; and we'll continue to help her together. She and Michael deserve the chance to build a life together."

"I'm not sure about him yet; if he hurts her in any way I'll make him regret it," he said with furrowed eyebrows.

"Lee, I think we're there," Amanda exclaimed excitedly, while pointing at an offshoot of the road that was being blocked by Virginia State Troopers.

"I hope you're right. If this isn't the place, I'm giving serious thought to turning back, I'm getting hungry." As if on cue, his stomach growled loudly, and they looked at each other and laughed. While Lee pulled the car up to the roadblock, Amanda removed her Agency ID from her handbag.

Ten minutes later Lee parked at the side of a long curved driveway that surrounded a home that could only be described as a mansion. They walked up to the imposing front door which opened before they had the chance to ring the bell.

"Senator Roberts was expecting you to arrive quite a while ago," the dour looking butler intoned bypassing any form of salutation.

"Maybe he wouldn't have had-" Amanda put a hand on Lee's forearm and shot him a mom look that silenced him.

"The directions we received from his office were a bit vague; we're sorry to be late. Will the Senator see us now," Amanda asked as she looked past the butler into the grand foyer.

"He is waiting for you in the study; I'll show you the way."

Ten minutes after being shown into the study, Lee and Amanda were led back to the front door without having learned anything that they deemed useful to their investigation. As the door closed behind them, they were approached by a casually dressed woman who appeared to be about thirty.

"Hello, may I speak to you for a few minutes in the rock garden," she asked while indicating an area off to the side of the house. Lee looked at her suspiciously while Amanda smiled at her noncommittally. "I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself, I'm Megan Roberts Davis. Senator Roberts is my father and the little boy that was injured is my son, CJ. I know who you are…well, I don't know who you are personally…but I do know why you're here."

"Who do you think we are," Lee asked curtly.

"You're feds; I don't what agency you're from and I don't really care."

"Ms. Roberts-"

"It's Mrs. Davis, at least for now," Megan interrupted, with a wistful expression on her face.

"Mrs. Davis, may I call you Megan?" Amanda felt drawn to the seemingly troubled young mother. "Is there something that we can help you with?"

"I don't think you can solve my problems but I think that I can help you with your investigation into the bombing."

"How so," Lee asked her in a more cordial tone of voice.

"My father thinks the bombing involves Senate business but he's wrong."


	21. Chapter 21

"Mrs. Davis, I understand that you have a personal stake in seeing whoever was responsible for the explosion that injured your son caught and punished but-" Lee began in a dismissive tone of voice.

"Don't patronize me," Megan angrily interrupted Lee. "I'm a woman and a stay at home mom right now but that doesn't mean that I don't understand the complexities of your investigation."

"Mrs. Davis, my name is Amanda King." She stepped slightly in front of Lee and smiled warmly at the younger woman. "This is my partner, Lee Stetson. We're from the Agency. Please pardon my partner's manner; he gets cranky when he's hungry and he's missed breakfast and lunch today. Maybe you and I could talk in the rock garden as you suggested, while Agent Stetson goes to take a look at the spot where the car exploded?" Lee knowing when Amanda was better suited to talking to someone than he was began to stroll down the driveway without saying another word.

"How is CJ doing," Amanda inquired as she allowed Megan to lead her to the rock garden. 

"He's feeling much better now that he's home." She smiled the first genuine smile that Amanda had seen since they'd met. "Thank goodness, his injuries weren't serious, mostly scrapes and bruises. My father insisted that he be kept in the hospital for observation as a precaution. I don't think that it was necessary but my father is accustomed to getting his way so I didn't argue when the doctor agreed to his demand."

"I'm glad that CJ is doing well. I have two sons, they're several years older than CJ is, they keep me very busy. I don't know how I'd manage family and my career if my mother weren't living with us."

"Your husband doesn't mind having your mother living with you?" She looked at Amanda with sincere interest as she waited for her reply.

"I'm divorced." _My answer seems to be very important to her; I hate having to lie to her…for so many reasons._ "My marriage to the boys' father fell apart after he chose to take a job abroad and I refused to uproot the boys in order to go with him. Mother came to live with us after Joe left although they always got along and still do."

"I wish my husband, Jeff, had a good relationship with my father. They never hit it off and now things are so bad that they don't even speak to each other. Daddy never thought that any man was good enough for me…I let his opinions about several men cost me relationships. When I met Jeff, something clicked between us, it seemed as if we wanted the same things in life. We fell in love and I accepted his marriage proposal despite Daddy's misgivings about him." Megan sat down on a bench in the center of the garden and tossed a pebble into the small lily pond in front of her. Amanda sat down at the far end of the bench and studied the pond in order to give Megan a moment to gather her thoughts. When she remained silent, Amanda attempted to draw her out. 

"I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you to be faced with open hostility between the two men you love most."

"They remained civil to one another for many years. When they got on each others' nerves, my mother and I managed to smooth things over. She had a way of calming Daddy down; handling him without his even realizing it was happening." She and Amanda shared a smile but Megan's faded quickly. "We lost my mom last year and nothing has been the same since."

"I'm sorry; you must miss her terribly."

"I do…it was so sudden…she had a stroke and was gone within a few hours. Daddy was so distraught; I'd never seen him that way before. People don't see the private side of him, he loves his family dearly, and Mom was the center of his life. He was lost without her so I told Jeff that we should move into the house with Daddy for a short time so that he wouldn't be alone in that great big house." 

"Did Jeff agree to the move?"

"Yes, but now I wish I had never suggested the idea, it was the beginning of the end." She abruptly stood up and walked several feet away from Amanda. "I tried to provide Daddy with comfort and companionship. I acted as hostess when he invited people to the house and went with him to social functions that he had to attend. Jeff felt neglected by me and jealous of the growing closeness between Daddy and CJ. The hostilities between Jeff and Daddy boiled to the surface and I was caught in the middle. One night I went to a fundraiser with Daddy and we didn't get home until two in the morning; rather than risking waking Jeff I went to sleep in a guest room. When I went back to our bedroom in the morning, Jeff was gone; he'd left me a note. He said that if he was going to spend so much time alone it might as well be in his own home. I understood how he felt but I didn't have the heart to take CJ and leave Daddy all by himself."

"That's a terrible choice to be faced with. Are you and Jeff seeing each other? What about CJ spending time with his father?" _That poor little boy; I bet he doesn't understand what's going on around him._

"Jeff and I were trying to reach a compromise regarding all the time I was spending with Daddy until a few weeks ago. We got into a huge fight and Jeff told me that Daddy would come between us until the day he dies. There was such anger in his voice; he'd never spoken to me that way before. He truly hates my father." 

"Megan, are you suggesting that Jeff is responsible for the bombing? Do you think he saw it as a way of saving your marriage?" Amanda shuddered inwardly as she contemplated the awful possibility.

"I don't want to believe that, but Jeff called me right before the bomb went off; we were arranging for him to spend time with CJ. He became really agitated when I mentioned that CJ was playing outside by himself…that never bothered him before as long as he played in sight of the house. What am I supposed to think," she asked as she wrung her hands. 

While Amanda was thinking about how to respond to Megan's theory, Lee was approached by CJ as he was waiting for Amanda near the Corvette.


	22. Chapter 22

Lee was standing under a huge oak tree, grateful for the shade it provided, as he waited for Amanda. Although he knew that she would get more out of Senator Robert's daughter if she spoke to her alone; he still didn't like being sidelined. As he craned his neck in the direction of the rock garden for the tenth time, he sensed someone approaching him from behind. Turning around quickly, he saw a little blond boy, sporting numerous bandages, studying him from a short distance away.

"Hi," Lee greeted the boy without moving closer to him because he didn't want to scare him off. "My name is Lee. Is your name CJ?"

"Yes, I'm CJ. I saw you and a pretty brown haired lady coming out of my grandpa's study. Did he yell at you or tell you that you're dumb?"

"He didn't yell at us."

"Don't feel bad if he said something mean to you…lots of people are sad or angry after he's talked to them."

"Do you see a lot of your grandpa's visitors coming and going from the house?"

"Sure, I see lots of them but they don't talk to me 'cause I'm just a kid. They say hello to me if Grandpa is around, but if I'm playing out here they don't even see me."

"CJ," Megan shouted as she and Amanda came around the side of the house. She rushed over to her son and knelt in front of him. "What are you doing out here?"

"I came out to play." He pointed to a small bicycle lying at the edge of the driveway.

"CJ, we talked earlier about you playing outside, you can only play out here if Grandpa or I-"

"I know," CJ interrupted, "I didn't come out until I saw you through the window. You were outside so I came out, too." Lee laughed at the boy's logic and Amanda shot him a 'be quiet' look. He pasted a contrite expression on his face and turned to Megan.

"Mrs. Davis, may I speak to you alone for a moment? Amanda can keep CJ company." Amanda shook her head at him, from where she stood behind Megan, but he plowed on anyway. Not seeing any alternative, Amanda began a conversation with CJ so that Lee could talk to his mother without him overhearing their conversation. Megan allowed herself to be led a discreet distance away from her son but then she turned on Lee.

"Tell me, Agent Stetson, do you make a practice of questioning small children without their parent's permission?"

"Of course not-," Lee ground out. _What kind of monster does she think I am?_

"I'm glad to hear it; because if I were inclined to let anyone else question CJ, it would be your partner not you. The local police descended while he was still in the emergency room, my father dealt with them…they didn't get near CJ." She smiled smugly at Lee and began to walk away.

"Who did question him," he asked as he outpaced her, effectively blocking her path.

"Two FBI agents; I allowed them to talk to CJ in his hospital room yesterday, with me by his side. They asked him questions about the moments that led up to the…" She visibly paled and looked away from him.

"I know this is difficult for you to keep reliving-"

"You have no idea what it's like to almost lose the person you love the most in an instant."

"You're wrong…my parents died in a car crash when I was younger than CJ is now."

"I'm sorry; that's terrible," she sighed. "What's to be gained by having CJ relive those moments again?"

"If the FBI agents only asked about the time period immediately preceding the explosion; I don't think they asked the right questions. CJ told me that he often sees people in the house and on the grounds that don't see him. Whoever planted the bomb didn't do it in the time frame that CJ was questioned about. He could have seen someone earlier in the day."

"Let's go talk to CJ together…I want the person who planted the bomb caught." _Maybe Amanda is right? Jeff might not have anything to do with this…but I need to know one way or the other._

While Lee and Amanda were spending the morning in the Virginia countryside, Francine had gone to Capitol Hill. She questioned the two senators who had received threats after the car bomb exploded in Senator Robert's driveway. When asked where they suspected the threats might have originated, the two longtime senators pointed her towards the same DC lobbying firm. The lawmakers, from opposing political parties, agreed that these lobbyists were more overzealous than was the norm. Francine drove away from the Hill with a promising lead and a dinner invitation from a married senator. _I'm getting older but I've still got it; he hit on me even though I only had two hours of sleep last night. It's so nice to not be dating men like that anymore. I wish Michael had been able to meet me for lunch…he must be very busy if he needed to work through lunch._ She yawned as she pulled her car into a spot across the street from the Georgetown office building that housed the lobbying firm. Checking for oncoming traffic before opening her car door, she spotted Michael rushing out of the building in question. Sagging in her seat, she watched him get into his car and speed off. _You lied to me again…if you break my heart, I'll make you pay…and then I don't know what I'll do._


	23. Chapter 23

Francine watched as Michael's car disappeared into the midday Georgetown traffic. _Amanda was right; Michael didn't lie to me about why he went to New York. There could be a reasonable explanation for why he was here instead of being trapped at his desk all day. I want to believe in him, but every time I've been on the brink of being truly happy something goes wrong._ She sat up straight in her seat, and looked at her eyes in the rearview mirror. The confusion, fear and pain that she saw reflected there took her breath away momentarily. She closed her eyes, took several deep breaths, and when she opened her eyes it was the ice queen that many of her coworkers were so familiar with that was looking back at her.

Grabbing her handbag, she slipped from the car and strode purposefully into the two story building that housed the lobbying firm. Entering the lobby, she scanned the directory and noted that the only businesses listed were lobbyists. She quickly located the office of the firm that had been mentioned by both of the senators she'd just spoken to. The moment that she entered the office, she was greeted by a receptionist who looked like a much younger version of herself.

"Hello, Mr. Brooks and Mr. Thomson are in a meeting, do you have an appointment?" The young woman began to flip through the pages of a day planner on her desk before Francine could open her mouth.

"No, I don't have an appointment but I'm sure they'll fit me in…it would be in their best interest." She placed her hand on the day planner so that the other woman would look up at her.

"I'm sorry, but they don't see anyone without an appointment; perhaps they could fit you in next week?"

"That won't do." Francine removed her Agency ID from her handbag and flashed it at the surprised receptionist. "Perhaps you should tell them that I'm here because I won't leave until I've spoken to them. They might find it a trifle embarrassing if I ensure that all their other visitors know that a federal agent is waiting to question them. I'll take a seat right here." She seated herself directly in the line of sight of anyone who entered the office. Her threat garnered the response she had expected; the receptionist rushed to a nearby door, knocked and went in. She emerged two minutes later, followed by a very handsome blond man that Francine estimated to be in his forties.

"Hello, I'm Ronald Brooks; my assistant said that you asked to see me. I'm surprised that the Agency is interested in our little firm. We deal with lawmakers on a regular basis but we don't generally interact with the intelligence community. Please come into my office and tell me what brought you here."

Francine left his office twenty minutes later, convinced that while Brooks and his partner were verbally aggressive and used their high level connections with DC power brokers to achieve their goals, they wouldn't stoop to violence. Brooks had hinted broadly that some government employees didn't agree with the policies that they were charged with carrying out. He implied that lobbyists brought like-minded people together so that they could alter the course of legislation to further their agendas. _Does Michael disagree with Reagan's Soviet policy? Is he trying to help derail it from the inside? I need to know what he was doing here earlier._ She had missed two of her check-ins with Billy, and although she didn't want to tell him too much about what she'd found out, she had to call him. Returning to her car, she dialed his direct line.

"Melrose," he answered on the first ring. 

"Billy, it's Francine-" 

"Desmond, are you alright?" He stared at the phone as though he could see her at the other end of the line.

"Yes, I-"

"Where have you been? Do you know how many check-ins you've missed? This isn't like you…I expect more professionalism from you."

"I thought that your only concern was getting this case solved…no matter what…never mind, you asked for professionalism." She clutched the receiver and took a deep breath. 

"Francine, I want you to come back in right now. You can give me your report in person." He reached in his drawer for an antacid while he waited for her reply.

"Sorry, Billy, I've got…a lead that I have to chase down now; it can't wait." She quickly hung up the phone and then picked up the receiver and dialed another number.

"Michael, it's Francine, we need to talk. Meet me at my apartment in half an hour." She ended the call before her startled lover could say a word. 


	24. Chapter 24

A tired Lee entered the bullpen in search of Francine. Not seeing her where he expected her to be, he knocked on Billy's door and walked into his office.

"Where's Francine?" He remained by the open door, prepared to leave as soon as Billy replied to his question.

"Close the door, Scarecrow." Billy looked through his office window before returning his attention to Lee. "Where's Amanda? I'd like to know where some of my agents are; I swear the three of you are-"

"Amanda is arranging for a sketch artist to work with two witnesses; one of them knows the identity of the bomber."

"Why didn't you tell me that you were close to breaking this case when you called in HOURS ago? Have you all gone rogue…I'm still the section chief in case you've forgotten." He slammed his hand against his desk and glared angrily at the agent in front of him.

"Relax, we haven't forgotten, things started breaking very fast out there…that's why I need Francine to do some quick research for me. I don't want the suspect to slip away." He swiped a hand through his hair and began to pace in front of the desk. "You still haven't told me where Francine is."

"I didn't tell you, because I don't know where she is, and that worries me. She sounded strange the last time she checked in." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at Lee, who was still pacing.

"Stranger than usual?"

"Yes, she led me to believe that she was closing in on someone but she wouldn't give me any details. She sounded…upset…and then she became distant and hung up on me. I had Fielder check to see if she'd seen the senators that she was supposed to question."

"Had she spoken to them?" His pacing stopped and he looked at Billy intently.

"Fielder confirmed that she met with both senators but we don't know where she went next. She sounded convinced that she is on to someone; but she didn't seem happy about it."

"She's wrong and frankly I'm very worried about what she might do. I have to stop her before it's too late."

"Too late for what," Billy asked as Lee rushed from his office without answering him.

Miles away, Francine sat curled up at the end of her sofa as a mildly irked Michael rang her doorbell for the second time.

"Francine!" She rose unsteadily as he shouted her name, automatically smoothed her wrinkled dress and walked to the door.

"Are you alright," he questioned the moment she opened the door.

"Yes," she replied while trying to stand taller in her stockinged feet. "Don't I look alright?"

"Frankly, no, what's wrong? What couldn't wait a couple of hours until we met for dinner?" She didn't offer a reply, so he continued, "I know that you were disappointed that I couldn't have lunch with you but I was-"

"Chained to your desk all day…or so you said." She turned her back on him, picked up a glass from the coffee table and quickly drank the amber liquid that it contained. "I don't give my trust easily; I let myself trust you and you've lied to me twice recently. I know you left your office at least once today," she challenged. The phone began to ring as the couple eyed each other warily.

"Aren't you going to answer that," he asked irritably, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Whoever it is, can leave a message; I'm waiting for you to tell me why you lied-" She was cut-off by her own voice as the answering machine kicked in, "You have reached 555-4220, I'm not currently available, please leave a message." The machine beeped and the caller started to speak.

"You can refuse to talk to me; but you are going to listen to what I have to say. I know how you think; we're two of a kind." Francine approached the machine to turn off the speaker. "If we weren't, you wouldn't have come to me last night." Michael put his hand on hers to prevent her from silencing the speaker.

"I think I'd like to hear this," he said coldly. They stood silently, bodies practically touching, as Lee continued to speak.

"You're wrong about what you think you know, we broke the case, Tanner is in the clear." Francine spun around to face Michael, who was looking at her, hurt evident in his eyes.

"The case? Who's been lying to whom…am I just a case to you? A suspect?"

"No," Francine choked out. "You don't understand-"

"I'm beginning to-"

"No," she insisted more forcibly as she grabbed his arm. "I never believed you were capable of having someone killed."

"I guess I should feel flattered, but all I feel is betrayed." He brusquely removed her hand from his arm. "I thought we were falling in love."

"I do love you." A lone tear ran down her cheek and she swiped at it roughly.

"Do you lie to all your lovers? Maybe, I should ask Lee, that was him wasn't it? You went straight from my bed to his last night." A shaking Francine slapped him across the face and then turned her back on him.


	25. Chapter 25

Michael used his fingertips to gently rub the side of his face that Francine had just slapped. He wasn't sure what stung more; her slap or Lee's words. _I swore to myself that I'd never give another woman the chance to hurt me the way Liza did; yet here I am… blindsided again._ _Could I have been so wrong about her? There's only one way to find out._

"Francine." She tensed at the sound of his voice, but didn't turn around to face him. "That was quite a slap." She looked over her shoulder at him, but didn't say a word. "Maybe, I deserved it?' She whirled around to face him.

"Maybe," she questioned with an arched eyebrow. "What kind of woman do you think I am?"

"I…I…I'm not sure. This morning, when I asked you why you left my place in the middle of the night, you said you needed space to think. Now, I hear that you went straight to your old lover…because you both suspected that I'm guilty of-"

"I never believed that you were guilty."

"Is that why you were following me today?"

"I wasn't following you-"

"Now, who's lying repeatedly? You wouldn't know that I left my office if you hadn't been following me."

"I was working the case; I wanted to prove that you hadn't done anything wrong. I was following up on a lead and there you were coming out of the building that I was going into. I didn't want to believe the worst…that's why I called you over here. I wanted to give you a chance to explain why you were there."

"So, you'd be grilling me now if…HE hadn't called to try and stop you. Did the two of you stay up all night strategizing?"

"No, we weren't discussing the case." It was Michael's turn to raise an eyebrow at a hard to believe statement."

"What were you talking about at three in the morning?"

"I was thrown by what you told me about Liza and your daughter. I want to be there for you, but I was confused and scared, so I went to Lee because-"

"You and he are two of a kind. Why don't I find that thought reassuring? This whole situation is getting stranger and stranger." He looked uncomfortable and she choked back a laugh.

"The night got even more bizarre; Amanda arrived while Lee and I were arguing."

"His girlfriend? What happened then?"

"She tried to play referee and calm us down; we were overtired so her attempts failed. She gave up and suggested that we all turn in and get some sleep."

"She invited you to stay," Michael questioned incredulously.

"Yes, they didn't want me to drive because I was exhausted and had too much to drink. They went into his bedroom and I sacked out on the sofa. You need to stop dwelling on my past with Lee; it was a long time ago. I already told you we didn't love each other then… but we do now…as friends. Amanda is okay with it; she realized how much Lee loves her before the rest of us did…maybe, before he admitted it to himself?"

"I think I can accept your friendship with Lee, but that's just a side issue; it's not the real problem here." He sank down onto the sofa and she seated herself at the far end. "Even if I believe that you've come to care for me; I started out being nothing more than a suspect that you were investigating."

"That's not true!"

"Francine, I'm not a fool, we met at a State Department dinner that you were working…our meeting was arranged by your superiors."

"Think about what you're saying; if I'd been assigned to investigate you back then the Agency wouldn't have told you that I'm an agent…I would have appeared to meet you by accident."

"Okay, I can accept that your initial interest in me was personal, but I need to know when I became a suspect. By the way, what was I suspected of doing?" She lowered her gaze to her lap, as she considered her response she could feel his intense blue eyes watching her closely.

"I wish I could answer your questions, but-"

"Don't go there, Francine, I know all about classified and need to know…I have a very high security clearance myself." She remained silent, so he stood up and shook his head sadly. "I'm not asking you to share the minute details of your case."

"Good, because I can't, but I will tell you what specific crime we were investigating. Did you read anything in the newspaper about Senator Roberts in the past couple of days?" He let out a low whistle and slowly sat back down.

"I was a suspect in a car bombing?"

"Not exactly," she equivocated, "you're taking this too personally. Billy, my boss, wanted me to get a sense of the internal politics of your unit. I don't think he suspected you specifically, but since we'd already met he thought that I could…" Her voice trailed off and she looked away from him. "Billy didn't know that we began seeing each other after the State Department dinner; he wanted me to…I need a drink. Can I get you anything?" She stood up and he grabbed her hand as she tried to walk past him.

"Forget the drinks, please, talk to me. I've never seen you so…distressed…I thought that you loved what you do."

"I thought that I did; I've taken a hard look at myself recently and I don't like who I've become."

SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK

Author's note: I'd like to express my thanks to Lanie Sullivan for always being there for me. This story wouldn't be what it is without your beta work and encouragement.


	26. Chapter 26

"I think that you are being too hard on yourself; you've risen through the ranks in what is still a male dominated field. Were you handed your current position on a silver platter," Michael challenged.

"Hell, no," Francine shot back, her blue eyes blazing. "I graduated with honors from an Ivy League university, I speak multiple languages and I got a very high score on the Agency's written exam to be considered for a position. I didn't merely have to be as good as the male agent candidates; I had to be better than them, just to stay in the training program."

"That doesn't surprise me at all. You haven't just squeaked by, you've excelled and you're well- respected by your colleagues."

She laughed bitterly. "You went too far…they don't respect me…they're afraid of me. They don't want to cross me; I've got quite a temper."

"So, I've noticed, but having a short fuse doesn't account for your success. You wouldn't be the assistant to your section chief if you didn't possess-"

"Michael, stop, over the last few years most of the assignments that I've received outside of the office haven't utilized my intellect…I've been called upon to use my more obvious assets." She walked back to the sofa and sat down wearily.

"You're exaggerating." The expression on her face and the slight sag of her shoulders suggested that she believed what she said.

"When I was younger, particularly after Jonathan jilted me, I enjoyed being able to use my…sexuality to manipulate men. I was good at it, very good, and I was proud of what I could achieve. It was impersonal…I told myself that it was for the good of the Agency; I was doing my patriotic duty but then-"

"Your boss told you to use your skills to see what information you could get from me." He finished her sentence and sat down next to her.

"Yes, no, it's complicated; I haven't wanted to admit to myself that I wasn't feeling good about those assignments for a while now. I try to keep my emotions in check; life is less messy that way. When Lee said that he and I are 'two of a kind', he was right, except that he's changed. I've never known anyone who kept a tighter lid on their emotions than he did, but then she came along and he hasn't been the same since."

"Amanda," Michael questioned, not sure where Francine's train of thought was heading.

"Yes, a divorced mom from Arlington slowly and quietly changed not just Lee; she's had an impact on all of us. No matter how badly we treated her, she kept coming back because she insisted that we needed her help. I was catty and condescending and for the most part she shrugged off my behavior and treated me decently. She wore down Lee's defenses and they fell in love. A while back, he asked me what it was about Amanda that bothered me so much, and I didn't have a good answer for him."

"Have you come up with an answer?"

"I'm afraid so…I'm jealous of her. She has a terrific family, a man who loves her, and she's succeeding as an agent without doing the things that I've done. I don't think I want two kids and a house in the suburbs but I do want a loving relationship, someone to build a life with. You and I could have been good for each other…I should never have kept the truth about my assignment from you. Will you give me another chance?"

"Francine, we're both guilty of being less than honest with each other. I lied to you because I'm still not completely comfortable sharing my most private thoughts and feelings with someone else. I was planning to tell you where I went at lunchtime and what I was doing there…were you going to tell me about your assignment?"

At the same time, Lee and Amanda arrived at the workplace of Megan's estranged husband, Jeff Davis. They entered the upscale law firm as the workday was drawing to a close and employees were filtering out. Davis attempted to walk past them, juggling a briefcase and a cardboard box, but they recognized him from a picture that Megan had shown them. Lee quickly blocked his path.

"Mr. Davis, we'd-"

"Not here, I told you that I'd meet you at my new office," he whispered as he tried to continue past Lee.

"I don't know who you think we are, but we didn't agree to-"

"I told you, not here," Davis hissed as he glanced around furtively. "Just walk with me." Amanda smiled at hearing the familiar phrase turned back on Lee, but he wasn't amused. Quickly realizing that the man before him was afraid of something, Lee acquiesced and followed him out of the office.

Author's note: My thanks to Lanie for beta-reading this chapter in record time.


	27. Chapter 27

Lee and Amanda had allowed Jeff Davis to precede them to the building's elevator, but when the doors slid open revealing an empty car, Lee shoved the younger man into it.

"What's your problem," Davis challenged, "I arranged to meet you; why are you acting as though you're afraid that I'm going to make a run for it?"

"I don't know who you think we are; we've never spoken to you before," Lee replied as Amanda looked on silently.

"Are you denying that you're a fed?" Davis looked the pair over closely for the first time since they crossed paths. "She doesn't look like one, but you sure as hell do," he said derisively as he tried to hide his own nervousness.

"Since we're the ones with the badges, I suggest that you tell us exactly who you think we are," Lee countered hotly.

"You're FBI agents; I called you this morning when I realized that I couldn't clean up this mess alone. I need your help…I don't care what it costs me personally…I never wanted to see the old man hurt…this has all gotten out of hand. Will you help me or do I need to go to the local police?" The elevator chime dinged as the car opened on a crowded lobby. Amanda stepped out, followed by her male companions who continued to eye each other suspiciously. Lee reached out to grab Davis, but was stopped by Amanda's hand on his forearm.

"Not here, Lee, I think he's being honest with us. Maybe we should take him back to the office to talk; we aren't accomplishing anything this way." Lee stood silently clenching and unclenching his fist at his side.

"The three of us won't fit in the 'vette and I won't leave you here."

"Use my car, just don't keep me standing here like a human target, he's crazier than I ever imagined." Davis scanned the lobby as he used the agents to hide behind.

"Okay, I drive," Lee agreed, planning to take Davis in through the Agency's secret underground entrance after a circuitous ride around DC.

An hour later, the agents sat down across an interrogation table from their guest/suspect.

"Your antagonistic relationship with your father-in-law is no secret. Why shouldn't we believe that you decided that getting him out of the picture would enable you to resolve your marital problems? The 'old man' as you referred to him is at the root of your differences with your wife isn't he," Lee accused.

"Leave Megan out of this," Davis stated hotly, but his anger cooled quickly. "She's the real reason you came looking for me." He hung his head sadly. "She thinks that I tried to have her father killed," he concluded in a broken voice.

"Did you?"

"Of course he didn't," Amanda interrupted with conviction in her voice.

"A-man-da!" Lee raked his hand through his hair and sighed tiredly as he looked at his wife.

"I didn't say that he didn't play a role in what happened." Lee smiled smugly at Davis. Amanda shot him a 'please grow up' look and continued. "I think he may have inadvertently set events in motion-"

"How'd you guess," a dumbfounded, yet relieved Davis asked.

"I don't believe you would have contacted the FBI if you'd actually tried to have your father-in-law killed. More importantly, you certainly wouldn't have arranged for a bomb to explode where your own young son routinely plays." Amanda turned to her husband to gauge his reaction to her assertions.

"My partner is usually a good judge of character. Convince me that she's right about you," he challenged a visibly sagging Davis.

"She's right…I was angry and I said some things that I shouldn't have…but I never guessed that he would…" He covered his face with his hands and shuddered imperceptibly. "We grew up together, our lives went in different directions, but we kept in touch. I knew he could be a little…unstable at times… but I never imagined that he was capable of violence. I didn't ask him to…he thought that getting rid of Megan's father would solve my problems…he thought that I'd be grateful to him. He came to me before the explosion; to brag about what he'd done for me. I was appalled; he could see it in my eyes so he took off. I called Megan to warn her, but the car blew up while I was talking to her, our son almost died because I shot off my mouth once too often."

"Mr. Davis, we…I believe you, but I'm going to need a name and I'm going to need to find evidence to back up what you've told us. Can I count on your complete cooperation?" Amanda offered him a sympathetic smile as she awaited his answer.

"I'll cooperate fully. I'm afraid that he'll come after me next now that he knows that I don't approve of what he did. My father-in -law has tons of protection now, but I'm the one who may actually need it."

"We both believe you," Lee conceded, "We'll protect you."

As Jeff prepared to answer all the questions he was about to be asked his thoughts turned to his wife and their son. _Will Megan believe me? Is it too late for us to be a family again?_

Author's note: I'd like to thank Lanie for graciously continuing to act as my beta-reader. I would also like to thank all the readers who've followed this story for the past several months. Please watch for the final chapter that I expect to post soon.


	28. Chapter 28

"Michael, I won't deliberately be dishonest with you," Francine began, choosing her words carefully.

"Why do I sense a 'but' coming?" He eyed her warily as she worried a loose thread at her hemline. Her intense blue eyes locked with his, and she took a deep breath before replying to him.

"There's no 'but'." She reached out and touched his hand briefly. "I don't want to lie to you, but-" The couple shared a wry smile. "I'm no more prepared to share all of my deepest feelings with you than you are with me. I've kept all that to myself for far too long to change overnight. I want, no I need, someone who will accept me as I am…I hope you'll be that person."

"I'd like to be, you're an amazing woman, Francine." She saw acceptance in his eyes but she saw something else as well.

"Now I'm the one who feels there is a 'but' coming; what's wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong," he answered too quickly.

"You've shattered our vow of honesty in record time. Please tell me what's holding you back.

"It's selfish," he replied, not looking her in the eyes.

"Selfish can be okay sometimes. If you can't deal with occasional selfishness, then we better end things right now. I can be-"

"Prone to being as human as I am," he interjected, the soft lines at the sides of his deep blue eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. "I respect that your career is very important to you but, you didn't answer my question. Were you going to tell me about your assignment if I hadn't overheard Lee's message?" Their eyes locked for a long moment and then she looked away. "I have my answer," he concluded sadly and began to stand up.

"No, you don't," she countered, also standing up. "I…I don't know if I would have told you, BUT I wouldn't have gone through with the assignment. I wouldn't have betrayed your trust in me. I led Billy to believe that I would do as he asked so that he would let me go to New York with you. I wanted; still want to go, if you still want me with you."

"I want you by my side, I don't know how the next few days will play out, and having you with me will help me cope with whatever happens." As their hands slowly intertwined, he continued, "I left my office earlier to see an old friend; he used to specialize in family law. If Liza thinks that I'm still the idealistic young man whose heart she broke when she walked out on me she's mistaken. I will do whatever I can to help our daughter, but it's going to be on my terms, not Liza's.

"That's great."

"It's not great…my daughter may not survive this week and if she does, she may not want to have anything to do with me."

"I'm sorry, you're right, it is going to be a tough week but you don't have to face it alone. I'll be by your side whenever you want me to be."

"I thought that your boss was only giving you two days."

"He did…I'm TAKING as much time as you need. The Agency is my career; I hope you will be a huge part of my life. Our future is my priority."

"Francine, I want to have you by my side in New York, but I don't want you to jeopardize your career over this trip. If your case is being wrapped up here in DC, your boss no longer has any reason to let you go with me for two days, let alone longer then that." He sat back down on the sofa with a defeated expression on his face.

"Don't borrow trouble; if Lee and Amanda have the situation under control then Billy has no reason not to allow me to take some time off. I'm going to find out right now." She walked towards the phone, but Michael's voice stopped her before she picked up the receiver.

"Are you going to simply ask him for the additional time off?"

No, I won't call Billy until I know exactly what the status of the case is. I try to never walk into a situation blindly. I'm going to call-"

"Lee," Michael volunteered as he looked at her uncomfortably.

"Yes, Lee, I'm going to arrange for him to meet us for drinks. Once we've spoken to him, I'll have a better idea of how to proceed with Billy," she stated matter-of-factly.

"I'm not…uh…I'm already so stressed out; I don't think I'm ready to meet your-"

"You have to stop thinking of him that way," she urged as she returned to his side. "I'll ask Lee to bring Amanda along. I hope that you want to get to know my two closest friends. Once you've seen them together, you'll see that Lee has absolutely no romantic interest in me. This is the best way to determine what I should say to Billy. I'm going to New York with you, it isn't up for debate, but I'd like to still have my job when we get back." Michael relaxed and sank deeper into the sofa cushions. He'd allowed himself to fall in love with another strong willed woman, however this one was devoted to him and he intended to return her devotion.

The End?

Author's note: I'd like to offer my thanks to all the readers who stuck with this story over the past several months. Francine has found love, when she hadn't admitted to herself that she was looking for it. I've chosen to end this story here, but if there is reader interest I could write a much shorter sequel that tells the tale of Francine and Michael's trip to New York.


End file.
